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What I Heard This Week 01-11-2024

What I Heard This Week January 10, 2024

 

You can now smell like a Girl Scout if you want to. Hmmm. I am thinking Thin Mints, people. Native, a division of Proctor & Gamble brand that focuses on simple and effective body care products, collaborated with the Girl Scouts of America to bring us Girl Scout cookie flavors of shampoos, conditioners, body washes ($9), body sprays and even deodorant ($14). Flavors include Coconut Caramel (caramel, coconut & chocolate), Thin Mints (mint & Chocolate), Peanut Butter (PB, vanilla & brown sugar), Trefoils (vanilla, lemon & buttercream), and Lemon. But hurry because they’re already selling out and no one will be going door-to-door in uniform with their red wagon full. (Remember when Granny on The Beverly Hillbillies, wore vanilla extract behind her ears instead of perfume?!? She was on to something even in 1962.)

Did you wonder why your car was so filthy with brown muck Tuesday morning after the heavy rains and high winds the night before? I had to rinse my car off with the water hose before I could even see out to leave my driveway. In simple terms, the high winds in West Texas kicked up dirt and dust into the air which became the specks that raindrops form on. Then those raindrops landed on your car.

Experts say that more than five minutes sitting on the potty is too long. Do your business (average time should be around 12 seconds…WHAT?!?), and if it takes longer than that, it’s probably because you have taken reading material with you. That’s why we still have a print edition.   If you stay there five minutes with no success, then try again later. Your bowels and hemorrhoidal veins will thank you. Now remember this specific time limit is for the average person. Yes, we know you are not average. Women, while we are on the subject, when your 12 seconds are up, you need to remember front to back, so you don’t spread bacteria. Most important. I’m just here to tell you in case your mother forgot.

An estimated 11.3 million tons of clothing and other textile waste ends up in the trash, aka landfills, every single year – that’s about 85% of all textiles… about 81.5 pounds per person per year or 2,150 pieces per second across the US. We are lucky to have many different locations in our area to donate clothing when we are finished with it…better yet, that means we also have many locations to purchase used clothing from. Then we have garage sales. I love garage sales. Perfect way to recycle and re-use. Or have a clothing swap with your friends. Try Freecycle.org, a non-profit group that like to keep good stuff out of landfills and they do more than just clothing. Membership is free.  thredUP is an online thrift shop that does all the work, then pays you a % of the selling price. Goodwill. They are supplying people with jobs. Donate to a women’s shelter. Sometimes people leave an abusive situation with just what they are wearing. Refresh Boutique is a new & resale women’s boutique under the umbrella of True to Life Ministries in downtown LJ. Good luck. I’m getting ready to start cleaning out my closet, but I will let my daughter shop it first since we are the same size. (Bribery – come home and I’ll let you shop my closet!!)

Warning: “If you lose an item in an outhouse toilet, do not attempt to venture inside the containment area. Serious injury may occur.”  A Michigan woman was rescued after she got stuck in a public outhouse trying to retrieve her Apple Watch. Yes, she was able to retrieve the watch before they removed the toilet seat, then made a strap to hoist her out. No injuries.

Comedian Tom Smothers, one half of the very truthful but infuriating for the networks, Smothers Brothers, died at 86. He was a champion for freedom of speech, pushed political boundaries and made us laugh while fighting for creative control on television. The brothers were finally voted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2008.
Denny Laine, best known for his time with Moody Blues and Wings, died at 79.
Laura Lynch, one of the founders of the Dixie Chicks, died in a fatal head-on car crash outside El Paso where the other driver was attempting to pass. She was 65. Criminal charges are possible in her death. Maurice Hines, tap-dancing icon, brother of Gregory Hines and Broadway star who starred in The Cotton Club, died at 80.
Tom Wilkinson, Oscar-nominated British actor known for roles in The Full Monty, Michael Clayton and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, died at 75.
Shecky Greene, legendary comedian known for his stand-up comedy nightclub performances in Las Vegas, and television shows, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Love, American Style, Laverne & Shirley and Mad About You, died at 97.
Jean Knight, the singer you will remember for her 1971 Soul Platinum hit Mr. Big Stuff that rose to No. 1, died at 80.
Andre Braugher the Emmy-winning actor who starred in Homicide and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, died at 61.

A couple of weeks ago the very first version of Mickey Mouse featured in Walt Disney’s 1928 short film Steamboat Willie, entered public domain because US law only allows a copyright to be held for 95 years. Hmmm. Seems like a long time, but it’s not. So, now Disney has no control over the sweet and kind versions of Mickey. Today as I write this, just four days into 2024, Steamboat Willie Mickey is now appearing in Infestation 88, a horror game with a bloody Micky Mouse as the villain, and an upcoming slasher film with new footage telling a story of a mouse mask-wearing killer stalking college-aged kids trapped inside an amusement arcade after closing, to be called Mickey’s Mouse Trap. And on social media you can find Mickey carrying a machine gun, crashing the Titanic into an iceberg, and cruising with a variety of uncharacteristic new looks that are extremely unbecoming to nice Mickey. And this is just day 4. Sometimes it’s disappointing to see what has happened to society. After the copyright of the original 1926 book of Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne expired, Pooh was portrayed in Winnie-The-Pooh: Blood and Honey, an independent horror movie, that I’m sure appalled the honey-loving bear. I haven’t heard anything about Tigger, but Popeye the Sailor Man will be fair game on the list in 2025. Sigh. Lately, I am so very disappointed in humans.

Just pulled up www.ehow.com to find out how to BEST wrap holiday lights so they are tidy and ready to go next year. One idea I found was to turn a chair upside-down so the legs point up, then slowly loop and wrap the lights around two legs (not too tight or you won’t be able to get them off the chair legs) creating a figure-eight pattern. wiki-How showed using a Pringle can on really small lights. A coat hanger, power cord holder and then cardboard, my method of choice. Just take a piece of cardboard, cut a little slit where the cord can slip into to hold in place, slowly wrap your lights, then when you get to the end of the cord, cut another slit in the cardboard for the end of the cord, and there you go. I ended up stopping by Harbor Freight and picking up two round extension cord holders for cheap.

Join Gulf Coast Bird Observatory Bird Banding on Jan. 20th. 8am – noon at headquarters in LJ. Come see birds in hand and learn about the science of bird banding. The earlier you arrive the more birds you’ll see. Event is free. If you can’t come, then be sure to drop off some sugar for the hummers coming, or chicken scratch or black oiled sunflower seeds for the hungry ones that stay all winter.

A man has filed a lawsuit against Dunkin’ (Donuts) saying he suffered bodily injury requiring mental health care and counseling, when in January 2022 a toilet exploded on him at one of the Florida coffee chain’s men’s bathrooms. The Van Gogh Museum has teamed up with The Pokémon Company and created an exhibit of Pokémon artwork, which is, by the way, very beautiful. Singer Michael Bolton (70) revealed that he had successful surgery for a brain tumor. Over 60% of exported bananas go to waste, so now there is much interest in the promise of a banana that does not turn brown. If my bananas didn’t turn brown, I would never have a reason to make Sunday morning muffins. Columbia’s (sportswear) STAR WAR Skywalker Pilot Collection has turned Luke’s flight gear into winter gear for us to buy. Dave Chappelle was so upset when an audience member continued filming his set, (after asking the audience to lock their phones in a pouch to prevent recording); he alerted security, then he walked off the stage. Put your phones away. Popular Science reported a 13-year-old named Willis Gibson is the first gamer to ever bring the 1988 NES cartridge version of the game Tetris to a conclusion, forcing the software to quit when he reached the 157th level. Tetris is a puzzle video game created in 1985 by Alexey Pajitnov, a Soviet software engineer. After an 8-hour city council meeting Monday night, council unanimously approved the re-zoning and special use permit to build North Carolina’s first Buc-ees in Melbane, NC, near interstates 85 and 40.

Oh, I almost forgot. Sonic has a new Peanut Butter and Bacon Cheeseburger (with grilled onions unless you want to add other condiments). Yes, sweet and savory – (but it’s only sweet if you add the “matching”  Peanut Butter Bacon SHAKE.) Oh, my. Surprisingly delicious – at least that’s what the article said… I wonder if Elvis would approve. Have a great week and remember to sell something. Soon.

LISA

Send comments to Lisa Baker at lisa@thesourceweekly.com

What I Heard This Week 01-04-2024

What I Heard This Week January 3, 2024

 

Celebrity owned liquors seems to be the thing right now. I found way too many of them when I took the time to look, thinking there would just be a few. Here are some of those. Yes, I left some people off the list. If you’re already bored, then read ahead to the restaurant that closed because they were serving cats… But you’ll miss so many tequilas and more.
Michael Jordan – Cincoro Tequila, The Rolling Stones – Crossfire Hurricane Rum. Michael Buble – Fraser and Thompson Whiskey. Kate Upton – Vosa Spirits. Matthew and Camila McConaughey – Pantalones Organic Tequila (which I indulged in over the break). Woody Harrelson – Holistic Spirits Company (both the gin and vodka blend artichoke and green tea leaves, elderberries and muscadine grapes and other natural ingredients). Soccer star Alex Morgan – Volley Tequila Seltzer. Dancing with the Stars Maks Chmerkovskiy – Tetya Kapa Vodka. Jeremy Renner – Sweet Grass Vodka. Blake Lively – Betty Booze Pre-mixed beverages. Jennifer Lopez – Delola ready-to-drink spritze. Stephen Curry – Gentleman’s Cut Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Emma Watson – Renais Gin (carbon-neutral product made from upcycled wine grapes). JJ Watt – Kickstand (canned vodka based cocktails infused with chiles). Brothers Osborne – WhistlePig Whiskey. Lenny Kravitz – Nocheluna Sotol.  Liev Schreiber – Slainte Irish Whiskey. Miles Teller – Long Drink beverage. Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson and Rosario Dawson – Margalicious Margarita. John Cena – bottled Old Fashioned. The Chainsmokers – JAJA tequila. Alan Jackson – Silverbelly Whiskey. Charles Barkley – Redmont Vodka. Sarah Jessica Parker – The Perfect Cosmo by SJP. Kevin Hart – Gran Coramino Tequila. Metallica – Blackened Whiskey. Peyton Manning – Sweetens Cove Bourbon. Mark Wahlberg – Flecha Azul Tequila. Troy Aiken – Eight low-cal beer (his jersey number). Brad Paisley – American Highway Reserve bourbon. Ciara – Ten to One Rum. George Strait – Codigo 1530 Special Edition Double Barrel Rosa-Reposado Tequila. Eva Longoria – Casa Del Sol Tequila. Adam Levine – Calirosa Tequila. Phoebe Waller-Bridge – Edinburgh Gin. Kendall Jenner – 818 Tequila. Mariah Carey – Black Irish Cream Liqueur. Jamie Foxx – BSB-Brown Sugar Bourbon. Bruno Mars – SalvaRey Rum. Jason Aldean – Wolf Moon Bourbon. Thomas Rhett – Dos Primos Tequila. Snoop Dogg – INDOGGO Gin. 50 Cent – Le Chemin du Roi Champagne. Kate Hudson – King St. Vodka. I must now stop and take a deep breath.

Nick Jonas – Villa One Tequila. Dwayne The Rock Johnson – Teremana Tequila. Matthew McConaughey – Wild Turkey Longbranch. Rita Ora – Prospero Tequila. Bob Dylan – Heaven’s Door Spirits (good name). Florida Georgia Line – Old Camp Whiskey. Ryan Reynolds – Aviation Gin. Drake – Virginia Black Whiskey. Conor McGregor – Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiske. Darius Rucker – Backstage Southern Whiskey. Channing Tatum – Born and Bred Vodka. Adam Levine & Sammy Hager – Santo Mezquila. Justin Timberlake – Sauza 901 Tequila. George Clooney & Rande Gerber – Casamigos Tequila. Bethenny Frankel – 20 types of cocktails that skimp on calories. David Beckham – Haig Club single grain scotch whiskey. Blake Shelton – Smithworks Vodka. Dan Aykroyd – Crystal Head Vodka. Kenny Chesney – Blue Chair Bay Rum. Ryan Seacrest – Casa Dragones Tequila. Dennis Rodman – The Original Bad Ass Premium Vodka. Jason Momoa – Meili Vodka. Morgot Robbie – Papa Salt Gin. Brad Pitt – Miraval Wine, Petite Fleur Champagne & The Gardener Gin.  There were more, believe it or not, but my real thoughts on this subject would be…let’s all just plant blue agave in our backyards because there can’t possibly be enough plants already growing in Mexico to support these famous people and their tequila habits. Just saying.

A restaurant in Vietnam that drowned as many as 300 cats a month to feed their diners specialty cat meat soup, has closed. The owner of the restaurant apologized for slaughtering cats that he knew were pets, but he didn’t have a choice because he needed the money to support his family. The owner was given a one-time grant from Humane Society International in exchange for closing his restaurant.

The lower Mississippi river is within inches of record low water levels, putting grain exports at risk just as grain export season begins. Rudy Giuliani declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy after he was ordered to pay $148 million in the 2020 false election claims case. Awww. Police arrested 3 men in Florida who stole hundreds of gallons of used cooking oil worth $27,000. They used a large box truck outfitted with a pump, backed the truck, pulled out a hose and pumped the used cooking oil, and are believed to be part of a larger organization responsible for more thefts. Used cooking oil is refined and sold, then used as fuel.

Sport fans are trying to get Ted Cruz banned from ANY games in Texas in the future, saying the senator is a jinx, and anytime he’s in the crowd, his team loses. Poor Longhorns. Construction is beginning on a Margaritaville resort hotel near Galveston’s East Beach. It will include a 314-room tower, several restaurants, bars, pools, family-friendly water parks and more. 32% of Americans do not floss. NASA’s Voyager 1 is glitching and sending nonsense from interstellar space.

Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one. – Brad Paisley

ESPN apologized for showing a woman baring her breast during the broadcast of the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. It was shown during a short clip of people wandering on Bourbon Street. You know, just another day on Bourbon Street pulling down your shirt to flash your breast. How would ESPN know she was going to do that?!? Bet her mom is proud.

Recently, an Arkansas man found a 4.87 carat diamond in Crater of Diamonds State Park. The diamond, which the owner has named Evans Diamond since his last name is Evans, is about the size of a jellybean and is shaped like a pyramid. Since the Crater of Diamonds became an Arkansas state park in 1972, more than 35,000 diamonds have been discovered. I wouldn’t mind wearing a jellybean on my finger.

What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what YOU bring to the new year. Vern McLellan

We all remember the Met Gala when Kim Kardashian wore the gown worn by Marilyn Monroe when she sang Happy Birthday to JFK. How the heck did that happen! The value of that gown was $4.81 million.  This year Kim wore a custom Shiaparelli Haute Couture dress (words for real fancy) with 50,000 freshwater pearls (lots of oysters), and 16,000 crystal pearls that took more than 1,000 hours to complete… that’s a lot of hours. I couldn’t find a value on it.  Her 10-year-old daughter, North West, said, “I like the pearls. I just don’t like that it looks, like, from the dollar store.” Out of the mouths of babes. Some of the pearls broke in the car on the way to the gala, then her shoes – thin stiletto heels with pearl-lined straps caught on the dress as she left the Gala. That’s why I wear flats… I just don’t want to leave pearls all over town.

Warning: “If you lose an item in an outhouse toilet, do not attempt to venture inside the containment area. Serious injury may occur.”  A Michigan woman was rescued after she got stuck in a public outhouse trying to retrieve her Apple Watch. Yes, she was able to retrieve the watch before they removed the toilet seat, then making a strap to hoist her out. No injuries.

A YEAR from now you will wish you had started TODAY.

LISA

Send comments to Lisa Baker at lisa@thesourceweekly.com

What I Heard This Week 12-28-2023

What I Heard This Week December 27, 2023

 

A rare pair of custom Nike Air Jordan 3s sneakers made for Spike Lee, were found in a donation bin and sold for $50,800 at Sotheby’s. (Sotheby’s waived their fee so that 100 percent of the money raised will go to Portland Rescue Mission where the shoes were donated.) Lee wore them when he accepted the Academy Award for BlacKkKlansman in 2019. The names of Tinker Hatfield (vice president of design and special projects at Nike and the architect of the Air Jordan and Air Max lines) and Spike Lee are embroidered into the size 12.5 shoes along with the logo of Lee’s production company, 40 Acres and A Mule Filmworks.

The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”- Robert Swan

A federal appeals court has revived a child sexual exploitation lawsuit filed by the man who appeared naked as a 4-month-old infant on the 1991 cover of Nirvana’s album “Nevermind.” Spencer Elden’s lawsuit against the rock group was dismissed last year, but a court in California sent it back to a lower court. Spencer Elden alleges that he has suffered “permanent harm” while the band has profited from the image, although his parents were paid $200 for the photo in 1991. He has also posed several times as an adult to recreate the photo (for the 10th, 17th, 20th and 25th anniversaries of the cover) seeming to celebrate his involvement. I wonder why he is upset now. Cha-ching

If you come in and find me talking to myself, just move on. I’m in a meeting.

When we buy something online, companies track us, then collect, trade or sell what they know… to anyone that will pay for it, so that company can turn around and use your personal data in many different ways. Consumer Report (bless their hearts) launched a mobile app called Permission Slip where you can very easily send a request to those companies to delete your accounts or stop selling your information. Learn more at permissionslipcr.com or download the app for free.

I can’t believe it’s been a year since I didn’t become a better person. – Unknown

There is an approximate 850-acre site near Los Angeles where nuclear and rocket engine research and liquid metal testing was conducted until 2006. NASA and Boeing had operations at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory. Now, there are at least two “forever chemicals” believed to be leaching into the Los Angeles River and its aquifer. Farmers in the area get their water from the aquifer.

I was going to quit all my bad habits for the new year, but then I remembered that nobody likes a quitter. – Unknown

What is the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s? I didn’t know the answer to this until recently when I was doing research after my mom had a stroke. Mom is now suffering from dementia, which is really a general term. One common cause is vascular dementia, which occurs when blood vessels in the brain are damaged by a stroke or other problems, which affects the blood supply and oxygen to the brain cells, causing them to die or malfunction. Alzheimer’s is a specific degenerative brain disease which leads to dementia… affecting memory, thinking, emotions and reasoning skills, mental decline severe enough to interfere with daily life. I want to take this space to celebrate all the caregivers out there. You don’t get enough recognition or gratitude.

Let us celebrate this New Year’s Eve in honor of the time we successfully wasted this year.  – Unknown

Gypsy Rose Blanchard is about to be released from prison. Her story is so outlandish that Hulu released a series called The Act, in 2019. It even won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for retelling her story. Patricia Arquette played her mother who was murdered by Gypsy’s boyfriend. Gypsy’s mom, DeeDee had a mental condition, Munchausen syndrome by proxy, that causes people to exaggerate, fabricate or even induce illnesses in people that they care for. Like for instance, a child. DeeDee told people that Gypsy had leukemia, asthma, muscular dystrophy, seizures, brain damage and learning disabilities. She forced Gypsy to use a wheelchair, feeding tube and home-schooled her. But Gypsy was really a healthy child! But, DeeDee received a lot of sympathy and attention, donations, free trips from Make-a-Wish and Ronald McDonald House. Habitat provided a house with a wheelchair ramp and hot tub when they lost their house during Hurricane Katrina. If Gypsy refused to go along with the charade, then her mother beat her. So, when her mother went to bed, Gypsy went online and started a new life. Her boyfriend agreed to murder her mom; then he was sentenced to life without parole. DeeDee has a release date of December 28, 2023, after having served just eight years of a ten-year sentence. Hmmm.

Youth is when you’re allowed to stay up late on New Year’s Eve. Middle age is when you’re forced to. – Bill Vaughan

In my own lovely life, I am blessed with some pretty awesome friendships, including three really magnificent ladies, Cheri, Debbie, and Jeri, that host the most delightful Christmas brunch each year. All we have to do (61 attendees this year) is show up with generous amounts of toys and fill up the bed of a vintage red pickup sitting in the front yard… with a few husbands guarding the goods. Very picturesque. The three ladies are all wonderful cooks and bakers, so upon arrival we are greeted with beautifully decorated rooms full of delightful foods and desserts… along with a special holiday cocktail served around the pool. When we leave, we have a box of freshly made, luscious Christmas cookies to take with us. It’s just the best of the best. Such a great way  to start the giving season. This year the girls announced $1425 in gift cards and 27 large plastic bags were filled with toys to share with children that might not have much Christmas otherwise. Friends are great! I can’t thank them enough for always allowing me to be a part of making the world a better place.

So tonight, I’m going to party like it’s 1999. – Prince

It’s called Public Domain Day 2024, and a ginormous amount of copyrighted creative works first published in 1928 (plus sound recordings from 1923) will enter the public domain in the U.S. on January 1, 2024. Among them the original Steamboat Willie Mickey Mouse cartoon (the image of Micky has been tweaked many times since then), the silent comedy, The Circus, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, along with Lights of New York, the first all-talking full-length feature film, and Edgar Rice Burroughs’ novel Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle, plus many more. D.H. Lawrence’s erotic novel, Lady Chatterley’s Lover. Musical compositions include I Wanna Be Loved by You, Mack The Knife, The Big Rock Candy Mountain,  I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Baby, and Makin’ Whoopee. There is way too much to tell you here. There are some great stories behind the publishing, and well worth a read if you have the time.

Thank you for your continued support this year. In 2024, remember to be grateful. Be kind. Leave the Earth better than you found it. Treat others as you want to be treated. And always say I love you.

LISA

Send comments to Lisa Baker at lisa@thesourceweekly.com

What I Heard This Week 12-21-2023

What I Heard This Week December 20, 2023

 

Typically, I am not a drinking-game, party-person, but I think you may really enjoy this. My Boston son sent it. Thank you, Gage.
CHRISTMAS DRINKING GAME
Lay out your wrapping paper, scissors, tape, tags, etc.
Pour yourself a drink.
Begin wrapping.
Each time you lose the scissors or tape, or a pet gets in the way, take a drink.
(I knew you would like it! Ashley reminded me that if you are sitting on the floor to wrap your gifts, you also need to keep your cellphone handy so you can call someone to help you get up off the floor.)

Pantone Color of the Year for 2024 is “a velvety gentle peach whose all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body, and heart” named Peach Fuzz, “a warm and subtle middle ground between orange and pink, described as cheery.” um… I am underwhelmed.

This will give true meaning to an idea that someone at your holiday party could pick up your cocktail glass, then you could shout, “Put that down. It’s nacho (not your) cheese!” Doritos is betting its new nacho-cheese flavored liquor, “that smells and tastes just like the real thing (chips),” according to the PepsiCo-owned brand, will impress. Limited time online and in California. Suggested retail price $65. There are three suggested Dorito cocktails, Mary, Mary, a nod to a Bloody Mary except with Dorito spirits and tequila… Doritos Bangarang with Dorito spirits, smoked sea salt, fresh grapefruit juice and topped with Pepsi (eeee… I’m afraid I would have to put that in the same category as cheery Peach Fuzz colored paint), and Double Triangle Margarita with Dorito spirits, tequila, lime juice and agave syrup…hmmm, maybe. I just can’t seem to get past the, “what happens if you drink too much, creating opportunity to enjoy it a second time…”

Sending Christmas cards is a good way to let your friends and family know that you think they’re worth the price of a stamp. Melanie White

According to DoorDash’s 2023 Trend Report, the most ordered foods nationwide are #1 FRIES, chicken quesadilla, mozzarella sticks, garlic naan, spicy chicken sandwich, pepperoni pizza, chips & queso, wings, cobb salad and fried rice. We are pretty lazy people.

I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note on it saying, toys not included. – Bernard Manning

Some of the top 2023 Google searches of curiosity and interest: The ongoing Israel-Hamas war with questions like, “what is Hamas?” and, “why did Hamas attack?”, then questions related to the Titanic-bound submersible that imploded in June, what is Barbieheimer (the time period where the Barbie movie and Oppenheimer movie were vying for attention), and more. Matthew Perry death, Jeremy Renner snowplow accident (he is releasing a “musical Diary” on the first anniversary of the accident, “a story of life, death, recovery, all things learned along the way”), and football player Travis Kelce known for his relationship with Taylor Swift, made the search list with Damar Hamlin as Google’s top trending person search after his rear-death cardiac arrest on the football field.

Keep your friends close, your enemies closer, and receipts for all major purchases. Bridger Winegar

RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Happy 34th Birthday Taylor Swift, Time Magazine Person of the Year. Country singer Johnny Rodriguez is 72. Actor Susan Dey is 71. TV chef Bobby Flay is 59. Actor Rita Moreno is 92. Singer David Gates of Bread is 83. Actor Donna Mills of Knots Landing is 83. Actor Lynda Day George of Mission: Impossible is 79. Singer Brenda Lee is 79. Is That All There Is? Actor Teri Garr is 76. Singer Jermaine Jackson is 69. Bassist Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue is 65. Journalist Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes is 82. Actor Wendie Malick of Hot in Cleveland, Just Shoot Me is 73. Singer Connie Francis is 86. Singer Dionne Warwick is 83. Singer-guitarist Dickey Betts of Allman Brothers is 80. Gymnast-turned-actor Cathy Rigby is 71. Singer-percussionist Sheila E. is 66. Actor Dick Van Dyke is 98.

Country singer Buck White of The Whites is 93. Actor-singer John Davidson is 82. Actor Dee Wallace of E.T. is 75. Bassist Cliff Williams of AC/DC is 74. Singer Cindy Birdsong of The Supremes is 84. Drummer Dave Clark of the Dave Clark Five is 81. Drummer Carmine Appice of Vanilla Fudge is 77. Singer Joyce Vincent-Wilson of Tony Orlando and Dawn is 77. Actor Don Johnson is 74. Actor-comedian Jamie Foxx is 56. Guitarist Tony Hicks of The Hollies is 78. Singer Benny Anderson of ABBA is 78. Singer-guitarist Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top is 74. Guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter of The Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan is 75. Country singer-guitarist Randy Owen of Alabama is 74. Singer Taylor Swift is 34. Actor Steve Buscemi is 66. Actor Johnny Whitaker of Family Affair is 64. Actor Kathy Garver of Family Affair is 78. (Hard to believe.)

Did you know December 17th was Pan American Aviation Day? On this day, advances in aviation, or airplane, technology in North and South American countries are celebrated… like the first successful powered flight made by the Wright Brothers in 1903! If you’ve never been to the Lake Jackson Historical Association, you know that they have a Windecker Eagle. Inside the building! The Windecker Eagle was the first airplane that could not be detected by radar and was invented right here in Lake Jackson by a dentist. Dr. Leo Windecker and his wife Fairfax designed the special plane using materials (foam and fiberglass) produced by Dow Chemical Company and has also set multiple world speed records! It was also recognized as the fastest single-engine airplane entered in the 1973 all-women transcontinental air race. There was a total of nine Windecker Eagles made, with two currently owned by museums, one is on display here at LJHA, and the other is at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. LJHA also has a flight simulator so you can try your hand at flying the Windecker Eagle during your next visit! Yep. My kids loved flying the simulator plane when they were little. 249 Circle Way. 979-297-1570. What a perfect thing to do while everyone is out of school. Just saying.

It is the holidays, therefore we will be with family, for good or for bad. The article I read said there are two words you should never say when you’re apologizing… 1.) “I’m sorry but…” 2.) “I’m sorry if…” – just suck it up and say I’m sorry. Period.

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room… holiday lights. Many words come to mind… disappointment, discouragement, annoyance, anger, defeat, and frustration, and those are just the words that I can repeat in this column. This was definitely not a good year for me to try and spread joy with lights. I had a most difficult time the past two years finding replacement bulbs for my outside lights, so at the end of last year I bought five new strands of lights – four boxes that I needed to line the beds and one extra… in case. The weather was better so I thought I should be able to get the lights done in a couple of hours. I found and popped open the new boxes. Oops. I had forgotten that I needed new wire sticks to attach the lights off the ground. I had lost a few when I decided to pull up and remove the lights after dark. I tried Target. Hobby Lobby. Lowe’s. Big Lots. I even checked online. No wires. I guess they don’t make them anymore. I couldn’t even find plastic ones. Finally, a trip to Lowe’s and I had five new boxes of cheesy (inferior) plastic light stakes in my possessions – four boxes that I actually needed… one extra in case… which was good because five of them unusable, therefore thrown into the recycle bin. The sun was shining, and I knew I could knock it out pretty fast, especially NOW THAT I HAD EVERYTHING in front of me. Let me tell you… plastic stakes are pathetic, but I made it work, it just doesn’t look as pretty and straight as wire stakes, and the skin on my fingers will never be the same. Ahh, did I mention that someone had opened the new boxes of lights while in the store and helped themselves to 13 bulbs from the new strands. I guess they couldn’t find replacement bulbs either. Oh, my goodness… Does Jesus really care about lights! But, putting out lights is like having a baby, you forget how painful it was, because you have 12 months to forget before you do your part to help bring a bit of joy to the season.

Actually, it is Thomas Edison’s fault that we risk our own safety and attach lights to our homes each December. In 1880, after the great inventor had secured the patent for his incandescent light bulb, he decided to illuminate the outside of his laboratory with the new invention. His associate was so overcome by the idea that he began marketing strings of 80 red, white, and blue light strings for Christmas trees. Remember that the bulbs were not tiny back then either, plus they were very expensive (about $350 in today’s money for a string of 16). It took years, but by 1914 people were trading in their dangerous, fire-hazard tree candles for the more affordable lights costing then, $1.75.

Christmas is a box of tree ornaments that have become part of the family. – Charles M. Schulz

Last night I slept really hard, so I headed towards the refrigerator to find my chilled gel eye mask which I never think about using. I couldn’t find it and really didn’t want to unload the whole refrigerator to look for it, so I just pulled out two squishy leftover condiment packages and placed them both under my eyes. Perfect! So, if you happen to see me over the holidays and I smell like mustard, mayonnaise, pickle relish or tarter sauce, be sure to look straight into my beautiful, sparkling, non-puffy eyes. Hope you have a lovely holiday with family and friends. Thank you again for reading us this year. Don’t forget to sell something. Soon.

LISA

Send comments to Lisa Baker at lisa@thesourceweekly.com

What I Heard This Week 12-14-2023

What I Heard This Week December 13, 2023

Last week, on one single day, I received three separate invoices from our electric company in three separate envelopes. Each invoice had the same amount due but different billing cycles, different due dates, and different invoice numbers.  So, I picked up the phone and called. After being on hold for twenty minutes, I finally got through to a real person and explained the situation. Now this is where you need to pay attention… the person helping me said in a very sweet voice, “I am so sorry about the multiple billings, but AI sent them out wrong.” Bingo!! Artificial intelligence (AI), the intelligence of machines or software, as opposed to the intelligence of humans or animals. We can now legitimately blame EVERYTHING on AI, which is probably right. IT WILL BE artificial intelligence running our lives as we struggle to save ourselves from the complications and disadvantages associated with our new world of hands-off human beings.
UPDATE: Today as I finished up this column for print tomorrow, I opened some mail and what to my wondering eyes should appear… (do you like the way I slipped that in there at Christmas time?) another invoice from my electric company for the same identical amount – so that’s four total. I made another phone call and received another apology, but AI wasn’t mentioned this time. I sure hope AI gets a little time-off during the holidays along with well needed rest. But wait, there is more! The next envelope in my stack that I opened was information about my expiring contract with the energy company along with information explaining that they will automatically transfer my current electricity plan to their variable rate plan… I wonder how AI will be able to figure out how to do that? Hmmm. Might be time to shop energy companies again.

Insanity doesn’t run in my family, it STROLLS through, taking time to get to know each one of us personally.

RodeoHouston released its lineup calendar and wants YOU to fill in the specifics. Take a guess at who the performers will be when they are announced on January 11th, 2024, and the person who gets closest to the actual lineup will win an all-inclusive suite for 18 guests for one rodeo performance. Entries must be received by December 15th, 2023. Rodeohouston.com/guess-the-lineup/

The nurse came in and said, “Doc, there’s a man in the waiting room who thinks he’s invisible, what should I tell him? The doctor said, “Tell him I can’t see him today.”

Taco Bell is bringing back the double decker taco for a limited time nationwide comeback. Hmmm. This might be most important just to the people who struggle when having to choose between two options…like a crunchy taco or a soft taco. Such a dilemma. Luckily for them, the double decker is a hard shell wrapped in a soft tortilla stuck together with a layer of refried beans. The fillings are normal lettuce, cheese, and seasoned ground beef. I guess it’s just an experience you have to try… like putting potato chips on your sandwich.

Freud: If it’s not one thing, it’s your mother. – Robin Williams

More chaos this year in The House of Representatives who voted 214-191, to censure Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman for pulling a fire alarm in a Capitol office building. Bowman apologized and said that at the time he was trying to get through a door that was usually open but was closed that day because it was the weekend. Bowman is now the 27th person to be censured by the chamber — and the third just this year. There has been so much childish misbehavior in the House, by both parties. I find it hard to believe a person that is smart enough to be a congressperson isn’t smart enough to know a fire alarm will NOT open a locked door. But then my thoughts drift to Marjorie Taylor Greene… hmmm.

RECENT BIRTHDAYS: TV anchor Diane Sawyer is 78. Actor Barry Livingston of My Three Sons is 70. Guitarist Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones is 80. Director Steven Spielberg is 77. Movie critic Leonard Maltin is 73. Guitarist Elliot Easton of The Cars is 70. Actor Brad Pitt is 60. Musician John McEuen of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is 78. Country singer Janie Fricke is 76. Actor Jennifer Beals is 60. Actor Tommy Cole of The Mickey Mouse Club is 82. Drummer Bobby Colomby of Blood, Sweat and Tears is 79. Former Kiss drummer Peter Criss is 78. Musician Alan Parsons is 75. Talk show host Phil Donahue is 88. Actor Jane Fonda is 86. Actor Samuel L. Jackson is 75. Actor Ronnie Schell of Gomer Pyle, USMC is 92. Guitarist Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane & Hot Tuna is 83. Actor Susan Lucci of All My Children is 77. Musician Adrian Belew of King Crimson is 74.

Ryan O’Neal of Love Story, Peyton Place, What’s Up, Doc? and Paper Moon fame, died at 82. Norman Lear, writer, director and producer, who redefined family sitcoms to be more like real life, died at 101. All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Maude, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Good Times, Sanford & Son and One Day at a Time.

One small change you can make to help Mother Earth is to change your dog’s poop bags to COMPOSTABLE (NOT biodegradable) plant-based materials like vegetable starch and resin. Think, ‘compostable’ is something you can put in the garden that will eventually become dirt. Some bags are labeled biodegradable which means they will break down, BUT just to smaller pieces of the same plastic. Plastic pieces are here forever. They never go away. Read the fine print. Try The Original Poop Bag. Always choose COMPOSTABLE everything.

The HOLLYWOOD sign that overlooks Los Angeles officially turned 100 years old. On December 8, 1923, the sign, which then read Hollywoodland, was first illuminated to advertise an upscale residential real estate development in the Hollywood hills. It was basically a billboard that cost $21,000. In 1932 a British actress died by suicide at the sign after struggling to find success in Hollywood. In 1944, the sign became the property of LA after the development went bust during the Great Depression. In 1949, after years of neglect, the Chamber of Commerce repaired and rebuilt the H which had fallen down and removed the word LAND. In 1978 Hugh Hefner hosted a Playboy Mansion fundraiser to rebuild the sign, which was at that time rusted, dilapidated, and crumbling, losing letters falling down the hill and an arsonist had set fire to the bottom of the second L. Hugh Hefner auctioned off letters of the sign to other celebrities for $27,700 each in order to raise money for a brand new sign. The nine white block letters were rebuilt to 45 feet high. In 1997 Michelle Yeoh dangled from a helicopter for a photoshoot in front of the sign for a National Geographic cover. In 2017 pranksters altered the sign to read HOLLYWEED for the second time (1976). The sign has been altered to read HOLYWOOD in honor of Pope John Paul II’s visit to LA, OLLYWOOD in reference to Oliver North’s testimony in the Iran-Contra scandal, and in 2021 six people were arrested after altering the sign to read HOLLYBOOB. The iconic landmark now has a new paint job to celebrate 100 years.

Kevin McCarthy will be leaving Congress at the end of 2023. A one-inch tomato, the first to be grown on the International Space Station and missing since March, has been found. There were no details about where it was found or what condition it was in. Because of the weightlessness of space, any object that is unsecured is likely to float off. The new Candy Cane Lane movie with Eddie Murphy is being described as less than Eddie Murphy deserves. It is rated PG but has mild language and suggestive references. On Prime **1/2 stars. Wisconsin Republicans who posed as fake electors for Donald Trump have settled a civil lawsuit for their actions. As part of the settlement, they acknowledged Biden’s win and admitted they were “part of an attempt to improperly overturn the 2020 presidential election results”

U.S. toy giant Hasbro is cutting 1,100 or 20% of its global workforce after back-to-back quarters of weak toy sales. I recently donated toys and made sure the sack was full of Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of Kenner, Milton Bradley, Parker Brothers, and Wizards of the Coast, among others. Cabbage Patch, Easy-Bake Oven, Furby, G.I. Joe, Glo Worm, The Incredibles, Lincoln Logs, Marvel Universe, My Little Pony, Power Rangers, Rubik’s Cube, Star Wars, Spirograph, Super Soaker, Teletubbies, Toy Story, Transformers, and so much more.

Martha Stewart told Drew Barrymore that when she is ready for a dinner party at her home to be over, she simply says four words, “I’m going to bed.” If that doesn’t work, then she starts turning out the lights.

The North Pole must be a pretty perfect place to invest in real estate. Over the past six years the 25-acre, 200-year-old rustic log cabin property that belongs to Santa, increased in value from $650,000 to $1,154,137. You can see pictures on Zillow. Lots of pictures and it’s an amazing home. There is also a link to the official NORAD Santa Tracker where kids can track Santa’s precise location on the big night. Make it a family tradition. Go to: www.zillow.com/house/santas-house

Have a great week! Thanks for reading and shopping with us. Please sell something.

LISA

Send comments to Lisa Baker at lisa@thesourceweekly.com

What I Heard This Week 12-07-2023

What I Heard This Week December 6, 2023

After several years of listening to George Santos (who is now describing himself as Former Congressional Icon), even fellow Republicans grew weary of the absolute embarrassment, finally agreeing to expel him from Congress. The SNL Weekend Update farewell skit was pretty funny this week – well worth watching. Now HBO confirmed that it has optioned the rights to author Mark Chiusano’s (November 28th, 2023) nonfiction book, “The Fabulist: The Lying, Hustling, Grifting, Stealing, and Very American Legend of George Santos.” I hope Santos doesn’t make money off of this. Santos has set up an account on Cameo, a website that allows users to purchase personalized videos from celebrities, so that is his money-making job now. Stay tuned…

HOLIDAY EATING TIPS – it’s the time of year that every magazine or cooking show has the most delicious recipes (all variations of butter) just waiting for us to pull it all together and start cooking for our guests and friends. So, I was searching for Holiday Eating Tips and found this. It was on Joke Budda and is funny. A lot funnier than if I told you what it said, so here it is:

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they’re serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly, it’s rare. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It’s not as if you’re going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It’s a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It’s later than you think. It’s Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That’s the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they’re made with skim milk or whole milk. If it’s skim, pass. Why bother? It’s like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people’s food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year’s. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa position yourself near them and don’t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They’re like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you’re never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don’t like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert, Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it’s loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven’t been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.
Joke Budda

RECENT BIRTHDAYS: News anchor Stone Phillips is 69. Bassist Rick Savage of Def Leppard is 63. Actor Cathy Lee Crosby is 79.  Impressionist Rich Little is 85. Singer Jean Terrell of The Supremes is 79. Bassist John McVie of Fleetwood Mac is 78. TV personality Bill Nye the Science Guy is 68. Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. is 94. Singer Randy Newman is 80. Musician Paul Shaffer of Late Show with David Letterman is 74. Actor Ed Harris is 73. Country singer Kristine Arnold of Sweethearts of the Rodeo is 67. Actor Judd Nelson is 64. Blues musician John Mayall is 90.

Musician Chuck Mangione is 83. Actor-comedian Howie Mandel is 68. Singer Jonathan Knight of New Kids on the Block is 55. Bassist Roger Glover of Deep Purple is 78. Singer Billy Idol is 68. Actor-director Ben Stiller is 58. Singer Clay Aiken of American Idol is 45. Actor-director Woody Allen is 88. Actor Diane Ladd is 88. Singer Dianne Lennon of the Lennon Sisters is 84. Singer-guitarist Eric Bloom of Blue Oyster Cult is 79. Drummer John Densmore of The Doors is 79. Actor-singer Bette Midler is 78.

Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman on the Supreme Court died at 93. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama in 2009. In 2018, she announced her dementia diagnosis. On December 18th, the public will be allowed to pay respects at the Supreme Court.  Wings and Moody Blues co-founder, Denny Laine, died of interstitial lung disease at 79. Nobel Peace Prize winner Henry Kissinger, foreign policy adviser to four presidents and witness to the crumbling Nixon White House, died at 100. Frances Sternhagen, Tony award winner of Cheers and Sex and the City, died at 93. Producer Marty Krofft who co-created several influential children’s TV shows such as H.R. Pufnstuf and Land of the Lost, died at 86 of kidney failure. TV writer Peter S. Fischer, best known for co-creating the iconic crime drama “Murder, She Wrote,” died at 88.

I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage and tangled Christmas tree lights. – Maya Angelou

The band KISS exited the stage for the last time as a real life, in the flesh band … then announcing their new era as a Digital Avatar Band … basically a hologram tour. Their avatars – Demon, the Starchild, Catman, and Spaceman will take over with a combination of LED screen projection, lasers, heavy metal smoke and pyrotechnics…larger than life. Just like the ABBA Voyage show did a few years back. Wonder if I can do that when AARP calls for my retirement at The Source Weekly. There is also some speculation that they may recruit new people to put on the make-up, then tour, like Blue Man Group. Hmmm.

Oh, Christmas isn’t just a day. It’s a frame of mind. – Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Think about this: When the women of the Golden Girls TV show – Blanche, Dorothy, and Rose – first began the show about old women, they were actually playing women in their 50’s, the same age the women – Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte are in the Sex and the City sequel series, And Just Like That. Hmmm.

People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas. – Unknown

If you want to be a really cool person, read this, but then you must practice using it in a sentence. Rizz is the 2023 Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year. It is style, charm, or attractiveness… the ability to attract another person, as in cha-ris-ma. If you possess lots of rizz, then you just might be called a rizzler.  But, Tom Hanks and George Clooney both insist that if you claim to, or just think you have rizz, then you don’t. “It’s gotta be placed upon you,” said Hanks. Those two would definitely know. Just one of 690 new words to get added to the dictionary.

The U.S. just set a record for mass shootings and deaths in a single year. The owners of a Colorado funeral home where 190 decomposing bodies were found, are set to appear in court facing allegations that they abused corpses, stole, laundered money and forged documents. The 3-year cruise ship that was canceled… one woman sold her home to make the trip and paid $562,000 for a 7th floor balcony cabin on the ship. Brenda Lee first released Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree in 1958. It just hit No.1 on the Hot 100. So at 78 years of age, Brenda Lee became the oldest person to top the U.S. chart. The 65-year gap between the song being released and hitting No. 1 is the longest for any artist, a record previously set by Mariah Carey in 2019, when All I Want For Christmas Is You reached No. 1 after 25 years. The world’s largest iceberg, A23a, is moving into open waters near Antarctica after being stuck in place for 40 years. It measures 40 by 32 nautical miles (roughly 3x’s the size of New York City) and was at one time part of an ice shelf in West Antarctica.

Two bloody leather swatches from the 1961 presidential limousine that John F. Kennedy was assassinated in, on November 23, 1963 in Dallas, have sold for $46,865. The limo was refurbished after the assassination, then used by Lyndon B. Johnson.

There are so many celebrity liquor/booze brands. Three new ones are Frasher & Thompson whiskey by Michael Bublé, named after two rivers in British Columbia. Guy Fieri has Flavortown Spiked, a fruit-punch flavored malt beverage, described as adult Kool-Aid, but not as sweet. Pantalones Organic Tequila by Matthew and Camila McConaughey. Their advertising video shows them motorcycling pant-less… pantalones is Spanish for trousers.

Have a great week. Please sell something! Thank you for reading us.

LISA

Send comments to Lisa Baker at lisa@thesourceweekly.com

What I Heard This Week 11-30-2023

What I Heard This Week November 29, 2023

The United Nations climate chief says our leaders MUST “stop dawdling” and act. The world now stands on the frontline of disaster. Derek Chauvin, the former police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd after pressing his knee on Floyd’s neck for nine and half minutes in 2020, is now expected to survive after he was injured in a knife attack in jail. According to NASA’s Harvest program (over 40 partners that help farmers around the world access a view from space of their fields) reveals that 6.5%-8.5% of Ukraine’s total cropland is unplanted or abandoned due to Russian and Ukrainian troops’ heavy artillery use during the war. It is so enormous, it is visible from space.

The only way forward, if we are going to improve the quality of the environment, is to get everybody involved. Richard Rogers

If you make a few dollars selling goods or services online, the IRS has postponed implementing a new rule that would have required you to report your earnings if they exceed $600 per year. According to the IRS, the new $600 Form 1099-K reporting for third parties will not take effect in 2023. They will treat this year as an additional period of transition. Because yes, you will have to pay taxes on side jobs like selling on Etsy or eBay (or even just shoveling snow). Prior to the new rule, people only need to report the sale of goods and services involving more than 200 transactions within a year totaling over $20,000.

ID EST QUOD ID EST (It is what it is – doesn’t it sound so much smarter in Latin?)

Remember to make kindness LOUD!! There was a great article in Magnolia Journal Fall 2021 – yes, sometimes it takes me several years to read a magazine. This article was encouraging people to give more, hand out the last compliment, ask questions that show you care, call a friend to see how they are doing, send flowers for no reason, write a nice note, invite someone to Christmas dinner, buy something on the teacher’s wish list, rake leaves, just do something – anything –  to show human kindness. We have to start somewhere! And please be loud about it! It is no longer enough to just think about being kind.

The importance of giving, and blessing others can never be over emphasized because there is always joy in giving. Learn to make someone happy by acts of giving.

There was an article about our expenses, and where we could save thousands of dollars by re-thinking our outgoing cash decisions. One was car payments. According to Edmunds, as of October the average monthly new car loan payment was $736. WHAT?!?! I may be old and therefore I think old, but that is a house payment in my little brain. Then on top of that, you have insurance, gas, and depreciation. Plus, repairs. I believe that cars are one of the things you should never buy new. Eating out. We all do it. But the average household spends $3,639 per year dining out. Learn to cook and eat at home, or just do not go out as often. Take your lunch from home. Cable. The average household cable TV plan costs $83 per month.  Mine was over $150 when I finally cut the cord. There are over 20 streaming services that are absolutely FREE. I do not miss my cable. Lattes. $4 per day, times five workdays per week, times 52 months, equals $1040. Plus, another $260 if you leave a dollar tip (and you should because you are a kind person…). So, you could be putting all that extra cash into your retirement plan. Develop good habits! Good luck.

I meant to behave but there were too many other options.

A company called PimEyes is an online facial recognition tool (described as a reverse image search) that scans photos and searches the internet to identify ANY person or thing. It is described as protecting your privacy because it can find which websites are publishing YOUR photos. “Eliminate the problem of illegal usage of your image.” But that is pretty scary information that could/can/will be misused so easily. Hmmm. Our world…  You can be billed monthly $29.99 – for one search per month, to $299.99 mo. for unlimited searches daily, and more. A PIM is defined as Product Information Management.

Lessons are repeated until they are learned. Cherie Carter-Scott

Lead poisoning is dangerous for anyone, but even more so for young children. The US Food and Drug Administration is warning parents to avoid apple cinnamon fruit pouches from 3 specific brands, WanaBana, Weis, and Schnucks brands. They are investigating 52 reports in 25 states of high lead blood levels in children ages 1 to 4 after exposure to pouches of applesauce. The FDA is now screening imports of cinnamon from multiple countries for toxic lead contamination with a cinnamon from Ecuador as the likely source. But there have been no other reports of illness tied to the spice.

Speaking of spices, this is the season to cook and none of us seem to empty our spice jars very quickly. The McCormick spices in rectangular tins (or ones marked that they were packaged in Baltimore), are at least 25 years old. Yes, time flies when you’re having fun. I have several old tins that I hang on the Christmas tree along with a couple of ancient floppy discs. History for my children. As of November 1st, there was a shortage of 243 drugs in the U.S. This compromises patient care, and cost hospitals more money. On North Padre Island they have found several mysterious Witch Bottles washed up onshore. According to Wikipedia, a witch bottle is an apotropaic (things to ward off evil) magical item used as protection against witchcraft.

Everybody wants to die of old age, but nobody wants to grow old. Brian Magee

The AOS (American Ornithological Society) will no longer name birds after people in the future, and will now change the English common names of birds (70 – 80 of them) that are named after people, along with any other bird names deemed offensive or exclusionary, or associated with people with racist histories. Think: Anna’s Hummingbird, Gambel’s Quail, Lewis’s Woodpecker, Bewick’s Wren, Bullock’s Oriole and many more. At least they’re not extinct, I guess. Speaking of birds, the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory’s online auction is now in progress with 41 auction items. They’re not just auction items, they’re an experience. If you’ve never looked at the auction, today would be a good day. Do it for the birds before December 10th. GCBO.org

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!” Hunter S. Thompson

There’s a new kind of waffle named after the city where they were invented, Liege waffles. At least it is new to us. Or better yet, new to me. They’re made from a yeasted raised dough which includes sugar pearls. Doesn’t that sound pretty! The waffle is pressed into a waffle iron, is more compact, pudgy and irregular around the edges, crispy and almost candied-coated on the outside, with a soft middle. You can purchase sugar pearls (that’s what it said in the magazine, but I’ve never seen them) or you can make the pearls by stirring 1.5 cups of granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a saucepan until the sugar clumps into small bits (slowly for 25-30 minutes so not to burn). After it cools on a plate, break up large clumps to collect one cup of pea-sized sugar pearls. Belgian Pearl Sugar is simply sugar that’s been tightly compressed forming larger, chunks of sugar that won’t dissolve when baking.  Can you tell I read cooking magazines on the plane to Boston over Thanksgiving? And I was hungry most of the time. I’m making these soon. Sounds delicious.

I always advise people never to give advice. P.G. Wodehouse

Director George Lucas offered to exchange his $500,000 salary for the original Star Wars, for the merchandise and sequel rights, and 20th Century-Fox agreed, because they couldn’t imagine a future involving Star Wars figures, toy light sabers or lunch boxes. They certainly never imagined additional Star Wars movies and television shows would still be entertaining us almost 50 years later. In 2012, Lucas sold his Star Wars rights to Disney for $4 billion. At that time the franchise had grossed about $20 billion along with all the merchandise. Fox could have had it all if they just paid him $500,000. (I also read an article on the plane about stupid decisions that movie makers have made in the past.)

More: George Lucas wanted unknown, unexperienced faces for Star Wars, so he simply asked Harrison Ford to just assist in the auditions by reading lines with other actors, explaining the history behind the scenes that they were reading. Lucas was charmed by Ford’s portrayal, casting him instead of Kurt Russell, Nick Nolte, Sylvester Stallone, Bill Murray, Christopher Walken, Burt Reynolds, Jack Nicholson, James Caan, Robert De Niro, Kelsey Grammer, Al Pacino, Steve Martin, and Chevy Chase, plus others. What a group of then, babies.

Have a great week. Please sell something! Thank you for reading us.

LISA

Send comments to Lisa Baker at lisa@thesourceweekly.com

What I Heard This Week 11-23-2023

What I Heard This Week November 21, 2023

Freshman Rep. George Santos will not seek re-election following the release of the scathing House Ethics Report. That only seems fair. ☹ He is definitely not part of what I am thankful for. NASA will launch a spacecraft on a six-year journey to an asteroid called Psyche. Scientists believe Psyche is mostly made of metal and studying it could help them understand how planets like Earth were formed. Billionaire Walmart heir Alice Walton has donated $40 million in grants to 64 museums nationwide to help them attract new audiences. Good Samaritans found a fisherman off the coast of Washington that had been missing for 2 weeks, after his vessel drifted 270 nautical miles from Hatteras, NC.

Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts. Henri Frederic Amiel

The owners of the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Colorado were arrested following the discovery of 190 decaying bodies improperly stored at their facility. They have been charged with abuse of a corpse, theft, money laundering and forgery. Police first searched the funeral home after receiving a report of an abhorrent smell coming from the building. At first, they thought the building contained about 115 bodies, then they raised the number to 189, then 190. The bodies were in such bad condition that they must be identified by DNA.

If you want to be large, larger than life, learn to Give. Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get – only with what you are expecting to give – which is everything.

A Colorado hiker, missing since August, was found dead, along with his 14-year-old Jack Russell terrier, Finney, waiting by his side. The dog had lost half of its body weight.

Talk show host Dick Cavett is 87. Media mogul Ted Turner is 85. Fashion designer Calvin Klein is 81. Sportscaster Ahmad Rashad is 74. Actor Robert Beltran Big Love, Star Trek: Voyager is 70. Actor Kathleen Quinlan is 69. Actor Glynnis O’Connor is 68. Actor Allison Janney Mom, is 64. Drummer Matt Sorum of Velvet Revolver and Guns N’ Roses is 63. Actor Meg Ryan is 62. Actor Jodie Foster is 61. Rapper Lil’ Mo is 46. Actor Adam Driver Girls is 40. Dick Smothers is 85. Singer Norman Greenbaum is 81. Actor Veronica Hamel is 80. Musician Joe Walsh is 76. Actor Bo Derek is 67. Rapper Mike D of the Beastie Boys is 58. Country singer Dierks Bentley is 48. Singer Josh Turner is 46. Actor Nadine Velazquez My Name Is Earl is 45.

Actor Marlo Thomas is 86. Actor Juliet Mills Nanny and the Professor is 82. Actor Goldie Hawn is 78. Actor Nicollette Sheridan is 60. Singer Bjork is 58. Singer Chauncey Hannibal of BLACKstreet is 55. Bassist Alex James of Blur is 55. TV personality Rib Hillis Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is 53. Rapper Pretty Lou of Lost Boyz is 52. TV host Michael Strahan Good Morning America is 52. Guitarist-actor Steven Van Zandt The E Street Band, The Sopranos is 73. Actor Lin Tucci Orange Is the New Black is 72. Singer Lawrence Gowan of Styx is 67. Actor Jamie Lee Curtis is 65. Actor Mariel Hemingway is 62. Actor Nicholas Rowe The Crown is 57. Actor Mark Ruffalo is 56. Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts is 63.

Singer Bruce Hornsby is 69. Singer-actor Miley Cyrus is 31. Actor Austin Majors NYPD Blue is 28. Former Beatles drummer Pete Best is 82. Actor Colin Hanks Life in Pieces, Roswell is 46. Actor Katherine Heigl Grey’s Anatomy, is 45. Actor Sarah Hyland Modern Family is 33. Actor John Larroquette is 76. Dancing With the Stars judge Bruno Tonioli is 68. Singer Amy Grant is 63. Actor Christina Applegate is 52.

Rosalynn Carter, who as first lady worked tirelessly on behalf of mental health reform and professionalized the role of the president’s spouse, died Sunday at the age of 96. She passed away peacefully with family by her side at her home in Plains, Georgia. “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” her husband, former President Jimmy Carter, said. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.” The Carter Center announced last Friday that the former first lady had entered hospice care. She was diagnosed with dementia in May. Her husband began home hospice care in February, following a series of hospital stays.

Longtime federal judge and older sister of former President Trump, Maryanne Trump Barry, died at 86.

The Lumberjack ride at Wonderland Theme Park in Canada stopped suddenly in mid-air, with passengers dangling upside down, 75 feet up for more than half an hour.

Another spotless giraffe (born with no spots) has been discovered at a private game reserve in Africa. In July, the Brights Zoo in Tennessee announced the birth of Kipekee, a spotless baby giraffe. That makes two in the world.

Welcome back to Plastic Surgery Anonymous. Nice to see so many new faces!

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s plant hardiness zone map, the standard for gardeners and growers to figure out which plants are most likely to survive temperatures by location, received its first update since 2012. Many gardeners were not surprised by the big (huge) changes. Human-caused climate change has shown us the summer of 2023, the hottest meteorological summer on record, so now we will know for sure where we can plant tomatoes, so they don’t turn straight to tomato sauce on the vine.

On March 15, 2022, the US Senate passed a bill to make Daylight Saving Time permanent. But it doesn’t become law until the House of Representatives votes and the President signs off. A group of senators reintroduced the bill again this year and it has been referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation for review. If it does become law, in March 2024, when we spring forward, it will be the last time. What is wrong with just going back to what it was in 1918, when it was introduced under the Standard Time Act. It was a way to save on fuel costs during the First World War by adding an extra hour of sunlight. Hawaii and Arizona do not observe DST. But department stores, the golf industry, gardening industry, pro baseball and tennis, and all barbecue experts of the world really like it, because it makes money.

Several years ago, The Source Weekly had cards printed that say: “The Secret to having it all… is knowing you already do.” The other side of the card says, “I am thankful for” and the rest of the card is fill-in-the-blank. We hand them out in little packages of ten to customers for family/friends’ get-togethers. This way you can have everyone really think about what they are thankful for… besides food, the day off, and more food. Sometimes (often) we forget and need to be reminded. So, it’s the week of Thanksgiving. Being thankful for what you have is an important step in becoming the best human being you can be. But sometimes in order to be thankful, you must give something in return… you must be a giver. Appreciate the time with the people that you love and celebrate all that you have…all year long. The following was written by Katherine Hepburn, in her own words. It seemed very appropriate for now, plus it created a little water in my eyes when I read it. I will share. Happy ThanksGiving to our customers, friends, and co-workers.

“Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus. Finally, there was only one other family between us and the ticket counter.
This family made a big impression on me.

There were eight children, all probably under the age of 12. The way they were dressed, you could tell they didn’t have a lot of money, but their clothes were neat and clean.
The children were well-behaved, all of them standing in line, two-by-two behind their parents, holding hands. They were excitedly jabbering about the clowns, animals, and all the acts they would be seeing that night. By their excitement you could sense they had never been to the circus before. It would be a highlight of their lives.

The father and mother were at the head of the pack standing proud as could be. The mother was holding her husband’s hand, looking up at him as if to say, “You’re my knight in shining armor.” He was smiling and enjoying seeing his family happy.

The ticket lady asked the man how many tickets he wanted? He proudly responded, “I’d like to buy eight children’s tickets and two adult tickets, so I can take my family to the circus.” The ticket lady stated the price. The man’s wife let go of his hand, her head dropped, the man’s lip began to quiver. Then he leaned a little closer and asked, “How much did you say?” The ticket lady again stated the price. The man didn’t have enough money. How was he supposed to turn and tell his eight kids that he didn’t have enough money to take them to the circus?

Seeing what was going on, my dad reached into his pocket, pulled out a $20 bill, and then dropped it on the ground. (We were not wealthy in any sense of the word!) My father bent down, picked up the $20 bill, tapped the man on the shoulder and said, “Excuse me, sir, this fell out of your pocket.”

The man understood what was going on. He wasn’t begging for a handout but certainly appreciated the help in a desperate, heartbreaking and embarrassing situation.
He looked straight into my dad’s eyes, took my dad’s hand in both of his, squeezed tightly onto the $20 bill, and with his lip quivering and a tear streaming down his cheek, he replied, “Thank you, thank you, sir. This really means a lot to me and my family.”

My father and I went back to our car and drove home. The $20 that my dad gave away is what we were going to buy our own tickets with.

Although we didn’t get to see the circus that night, we both felt a joy inside us that was far greater than seeing the circus could ever provide.

That day I learnt the value to Give.

The Giver is bigger than the Receiver. ~ Katharine Hepburn

“May your stuffing be tasty. May your turkey be plump. May your potatoes and gravy have nary a lump. May your yams be delicious and your pies take the prize, and may your Thanksgiving dinner stay off your thighs!” —Anonymous.

We wish you the best Thanksgiving with friends and family. Remember the secret to having it all… is knowing you already do.

LISA

Send comments to Lisa Baker at lisa@thesourceweekly.com

What I Heard This Week 11-16-2023

What I Heard This Week November 15, 2023

A global supplier of zippers has found that paint used on some of its products (supplied to major clothing brands like The North Face, Patagonia Inc., Eddie Bauer Inc, Columbia Sportswear Co., L.L. Bean, Lululemon and many more companies that would not disclose whether they were affected or not…) may contain toxic forever chemicals called PFAS. Evidently PFAS is used in a bunch of our clothing, not just zippers. The zipper thing was discovered earlier this year but is just now being reported publicly, which leads me to this.

PFAS are a family of thousands of human-made substances nicknamed Forever Chemicals because they do not break down in the environment, but have still been used since the 1940’s in a huge range of everyday consumer products and industrial processes. The synthetic substances resist degradation and accumulate in our environment (in food you eat, it’s in the dirt and air you breathe) and in living organisms (polluted animals have been found on every continent except Antarctica and that’s just because there was a lack of test results in Antarctica.) Think about the fish, meat, and vegetables you eat. Basically, all you have to do is look for PFAS and you will find it.
      Go to ewg.org/interactive-maps/pfas.
      In a month, we ingest (through eating… and drinking is the worst) the weight of a 4×2 Lego brick in plastic, or, imagine this, enough shredded plastic to half-fill a rice bowl … equivalent to the size of a credit card. We could be eating a credit card each month?!?  In 6 months, 125 grams or enough to fill a cereal bowl, and in a year, an amount of plastic heaped on a dinner plate or say, the plastic in a fireman’s helmet… but in your lifetime if you live through this to 79 years old, it could be the same amount as two rolling green trashcans that you set out by the curb on trash day. So, we eat it, poop it out, then where does it go? Plastic does NOT break down and go away, it just goes to a different place on Earth. So, what is going to happen to us?
      According to a study in Environmental Health Perspectives, most plastic products, from dishes to plastic bags to food wraps, have been proven to release estrogenic chemicals, which are endocrine disrupters, that act like the sex hormone estrogen, so it is screwing up our hormonal systems with premature births, miscarriage, male infertility, premature breast development and abnormal male sexual development. Plastic is toxic. Are you scared yet? You should be for your children and your grandchildren, your neighbors, and your family.
      Don’t microwave in plastic. The most commonly used chemical is phthalates, which makes plastics soft and bendable. This is not chemically bound to plastic, so it gets transferred to other things easily. Try not to eat things that have been stored in plastic containers for long periods of time. If you are getting sliced meat at the deli, ask for wax paper instead of plastic.
      1. PET (#1), HDPE (#2), LDPE (#4), and PP (#5) are the safest plastics for food storage.
2. PVC (#3), PS (#6), PLA and Polycarbonate plastics (#7) should be avoided.
3. Check the recycling codes on all plastic containers to see if they are safe for food storage.

This week’s Fortune Cookie: The value lies not within any particular thing, but in the desire placed on that thing.

RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Actor Paul Hogan is 84. Actor-dancer Ben Vereen is 77. Singer Cyril Neville of The Neville Brothers is 75. Country singer Tanya Tucker is 65. TV host Chris Wallace is 76. Actor-singer Susan Anton is 73. Musician Paul Simon is 82. Keyboardist Robert Lamm of Chicago is 79. Country singer Lacy J. Dalton is 77. Actor Demond Wilson of Sanford and Son is 77. Singer John Ford Coley of England Dan and John Ford Coley is 75. Model Beverly Johnson is 71. Singer-actor-talk show host Marie Osmond is 64. Singer Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues is 77. Author R.L. Stine of Goosebumps is 80. Actor Sigourney Weaver is 74. King Charles is 75.

Ken Mattingly, NASA astronaut on Apollo 16, STS-4 and 51-C, the 4th and 15th flights of the Space Shuttle program, died at 87. Frank Borman, NASA astronaut on Gemini 7 and Apollo 8, then CEO of Eastern Air Lines, died at 95. Mark Goddard, best known for portraying combative Major Don West in the series Lost in Space, died at 87. Richard Moll died at 80. He was best known as the eccentric but gentle giant bailiff “Bull” on Night Court.

FYI: We have become a world of casual dressers, so if you happen to be planning a cruise, bringing camouflage clothing with you would be a big No-No. In destinations such as The Bahamas, Jamaica, Barbados, Grenada, Dominica, Antigua, and St. Lucia, wearing such camo apparel in some locations is reserved exclusively for military personnel.  So, leave ALL your camo at home or you’ll be stuck on a boat in your room…. where you can wear anything you want to wear, but it really defeats the purpose of going on a cruise, don’t you think. Dress Codes also typically say no baseball caps, athletic wear, or bathing suits in in the dining room. Before you depart on your voyage, it’s always a good idea to take a long look at the individual cruise company’s dress codes.

In 1958, Mattel first produced their prototypes for a doll named Barbara Millicent Roberts aka Barbie. That makes her eligible for Medicare. The final season of The Crown is split into two parts, with Part One released November 16 and Part Two on December 14.  NBC will have a live music special filmed at Elvis Presley’s estate on November 29 called Christmas at Graceland. You will find Eddie Murphy in Candy Cane Lane, as a Christmas-obsessed dad who will stop at nothing to win the neighborhood decorating contest, all done Eddie Murphy style – December 1, on Prime Video. Hmmm. Just doesn’t sound like as much fun as Saturday Night Live with Eddie Murphy. Ninfa’s is FIFTY years old. Thank you for making tacos al carbon (fajitas) and Tex-Mex a thing. In 1958, there were six satellites orbiting the Earth, there are now more than 11,300. Pop star, Pink, announced she intends to give away 2,000 banned books during the Florida part of her 2023 Trustfall Tour. The four books that she will give away are, The Family Book by Todd Parr, The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman, Beloved by Toni Morrison, and a book from Girls Who Code that encourages girls to become computer scientists and engineers.

Saving your brain. There is growing evidence that receiving multiple types of routine vaccines can lower the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s (maybe by as much as 40%) in seniors (we are not talking HS seniors here). This could include shingles, pneumonia, and Tdap/Td vaccine (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis). Don’t know about you, but I think I personally need to call on every opportunity to help myself with impending age-related problems. Twice this weekend I walked to another room to get something, then forgot why I was going. Wait, maybe it’s ok… I HAVE been doing that all my life.

Retired: I do nothing in the morning, to keep my afternoon free.

Expensive Mistake. After seven short years, Texas A&M fired Jimbo Fisher (underachiever) as their head football coach, with a contract buyout of $77,562,500 million just to get him to go away. They must have really wanted him to hit the road fast. It is the biggest buyout for a football coach in history with 25% due in a lump sum within 60 days of termination and remaining balance to be paid in equal annual payments beginning 120 days after termination, continuing through the end of his contract (12-31-2031). According to USA Today, the 12th Man Foundation reported $239.5 million in net assets for fiscal year ending 06-30-2022. Of total assets, $112.2 million was reported as endowment funds. The foundation reported $135.2 million in contributions for the fiscal year, so I would say, all is well financially. What does this say for college football…

Military veteran Aaron James (46) of Hot Springs, Arkansas, was working as an electrical lineman in 2021 when his face touched a live wire, receiving a 7,200-volt electric shock. This past May he was able to receive a 21-hour surgery where doctors transplanted a whole left eye and socket, including orbital bones and surrounding eye tissues around the optic nerve, plus a partial face which included a new nose, left upper and lower eyelids, a left eyebrow, upper and lower lips and underlying skull, cheek, nasal and chin bone segments. James received the organs from a single donor and has regained his ability to taste, smell and eat solid foods. It is not known whether he will regain sight in the new eye but it is showing signs of health. Amazing.

Nov 18 • Blessings for Baby Give-Away Day 10am – 12 at Pregnancy Help Center to “shop” for free baby items. Event is open to the community (20-item limit – while supplies last). Donations accepted. 325 Garland St., LJ.

Dec. 2 • Teddy Bear Carnival, 2-4 pm at Covenant Evangelical Presbyterian Church 102 Yaupon St, LJ for fun carnival games, live performances, and more! This year’s monetary and toy donations benefit BACH. General admission is $5 (or $20 for a family up to 6 living in the same household).

Have a great week. Thanks for reading us.

LISA

Send comments to Lisa Baker at lisa@thesourceweekly.com

What I Heard This Week 11-09-2023

What I Heard This Week November 8, 2023

Last night I needed a single something from Target, so off I went. The store was fairly empty an hour before they normally close, so there was no human interaction from stockers or shoppers. 10 minutes of speed shopping later, I had a cat scratching post, 5 cans of cat food for the sweet stray in this column, a date book for 2024, and a bag of urinary tract dry cat food. No basket needed because I was just going to buy just one thing… so I struggled carrying my load to the front to find (as usual) that there were no humans available to check me out, just self-checking… I think a real human is just a benefit you should always have when shopping anywhere. So, when the self-checking female voice started talking to me, I answered back, and when she thanked me for shopping, I told her thank you, mentioning it was my pleasure to finally have someone to talk to in the store. Then I looked up to see someone in a red Target vest on the other side of the counter just watching me as I talked to the cash register. I just smiled like I talk to cash registers all the time and then walked away. It was very much MY pleasure. But yes, I probably was lonesome.

Christmas movies: Linda Gray (Dallas), Donna Mills (), Loni Anderson (WKRP in Cincinnati), Nicollette Sheridan (Knots Landing), and Morgan Fairchild (Falcon Crest), star as five glamorous soap opera queens in Lifetime’s Ladies of the ‘80’s: A Divas Christmas. The storyline is, the ‘80’s divas reunite to shoot the final Christmas episode of their long-running former (fictional) series, The Great Lakes. Premieres December 2. Let’s face it, these divas rocked the fashion world of the 80’s. I will watch!

Supposedly there are 114, give or take a few, new Christmas movies in 2023 on Hallmark, Bet+, Lifetime, Netflix, OWN, Great American Family and more networks. There is a prequel to the Hunger Games, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes on Nov 17.  The Marvels on Nov 10. May December with Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman on November 17. Trolls Band Together with Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick on Nov 17. Maestro with Bradley Cooper as legendary conductor/composer Leonard Bernstein on Nov 22. Napoleon with Joaquin Phoenix as the French commander on Nov 22. A Disney animated musical, Wish on Nov 22. The dark fantasy comedy Poor Things with Emma Stone as a woman brought back to life by a mad scientist on Dec 8. American Fiction on Dec 15 with Sterling K. Brown. The prequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory called Wonka with Timothee Chalamet and Hugh Grant on Dec 15. All of Us Strangers on Dec 22. The Iron Claw with Zac Efron and Lily James about a tight-knit Texas pro-wrestling family in the ‘80’s, appears on Dec 22. Director George Clooney brings us The Boys in the Boat, the true story of the University of Washington rowing team at the 1936 Summer Olympics, on Dec 25. The musical adaptation of The Color Purple on Dec 25. The biopic, Ferrari with Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz, Patrick Dempsey, and Shailene Woodley starring in the dangerous 1,000-mile race across Italy in 1957 also appears on Dec 25.  Killers of the Flower Moon is being discussed as the best movie to date in 2023. There are more movies but not enough room to list. When the families start arriving for the holidays, you’ll have something to do.

This is a tragic story … A poacher, along with four of his poacher friends, illegally entered Kruger National Park in South Africa on foot to hunt for rhinoceroses. This is where the story gets sad. The poacher was trampled to death by an elephant. Then… a pride of lions did their part and all that was left was a skull and a pair of pants. The end. (Upon further reading, I found that this is an old story, first showing up in 2019 – oh, well, I’m still going to leave it in because it’s a good… I mean sad story.)

Live a good and honorable life. Then, when you are older, you can look back and enjoy it a second time. – Dalai Lama (unless, of course, you are eaten by the lions)

RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Actor-singer Julie Andrews is 88. Astrophysicist and Cosmos host Neil deGrasse Tyson is 65. Actor Britt Ekland is 81. Bond Girl in The Man with the Golden Gun. TV host Joy Behar of The View is 81. Saxophonist Jerry Martini of Sly and the Family Stone is 80. Singer Don McLean is 78. American Pie. Musician Sting is 72. Singer Chubby Checker is 82. The Twist. Singer-guitarist Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac is 74. Blues singer Keb’ Mo’ is 72. Five Grammy Awards. Drummer Tommy Lee of Motley Crue is 61. Actor Susan Sarandon is 77. Actor-comedian Chevy Chase is 80. Singer David Lee Roth of Van Halen is 69. Actor Stephanie Zimbalist of Remington Steele is 67. Singer Jackson Browne is 75. Actor Scott Bakula is 69. Actor John O’Hurley of Seinfeld is 69. Singer Daryl Hall of Hall and Oates is 77. Maneater. Singer Sammy Hagar is 76.

Colorado authorities say that a man told police that his wife fell asleep on an Amtrak train headed from Milwaukee to Denver during a move, was then found unresponsive, and died. Seven years later the husband has been charged with her murder. At the time, the woman had been found with a large number of injuries that her husband said were injuries from their move. Hmmm. What took them 7 years?  In Australia, a 49-year-old woman has been charged with murder of her estranged husband’s parents and their sister-in-law, after hosting a dinner party and serving death cap mushrooms. She is also charged with three attempted murders in three other separate incidents in 2021 and 2022, where the individuals became ill after eating her meals. Hmmm. What took them so long? Did they think that she was just a bad cook?

Sometimes I think I read too much, then I laugh and turn the page.

The Texas Rangers won their FIRST World’s Series defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games. Alvin native Nolan Ryan was signed by the Houston Astros in 1979, then 10 years later, he joined the Texas Rangers. Both the Astros and Rangers retired the number 34. So, is he an Astro or a Ranger? Either way, I bet he is proud. Reba McEntire has a new album and book titled Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots. To help celebrate this achievement, 40 corn mazes in 23 different states were designed in her likeness by MAiZE, each maze a little different. Texas has Circle S Acres in San Angelo and Jenschke Orchards in Fredericksburg.  A-maze-ing.

To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone, and a funny bone. Reba McIntire

Those that know me and read this column, know that I love animals. Most of them are nicer than people. Rescues make such good pets.  Teller, the downtown stray found during COVID, has made the most terrific member of our family, coming to work with me at The Source Weekly each and every day; Winnie and Sully, kitty survivors of Hurricane Harvey not quite 3 weeks old when we found them, and Oliver Twist, a survivor of a journey in the engine of a suburban all the way over from Wild Peach (with the owners knowledge that he was in the engine). He was a little burned, but paws healed  and whiskers grew back… it took a year plus for him to settle down where you could reach down to him for a little scratch and not have him run away. But now he is the best little lover boy around.  Which leads me to a very sweet grey kitty (probably 6 months old) living at the back of my office right now. I found her last Thursday and ran to buy cat food. Then because I was moving my mom this past weekend, a friend fed and watered her for three days. Thank you, Michelle. Trust me, this little girl would make someone a great pet. She is so sweet, loves humans but starving for food and attention… She still eats like she is famished so she may need some therapy but what’s a little therapy in the whole scheme of things… Her little ear has been notched which means she was fixed then re-released to the wild, but I don’t believe this girl wants or needs to be on the streets. If you have been thinking about adding a new member to your family, I have an idea. She is precious. Come by. But I really do believe she would make a great inside pet. She is just so loving. Solid gray with spots of white on her belly and the most beautiful green eyes. And she has been fixed!! Just think of me as your kitty dating service CATch.com. Please spread the word to your friends. We need to find her a good home. She deserves it. SEE PAGE 9 CENTERFOLD.

Being 20 in the 70’s was more fun than being seventy in the 20’s.

U.S. Capitol police found a gun with a giggle switch – what is a giggle switch, you ask – it happens to turn a gun into a machine gun. This one was found after two men crashed a stolen car into a barricade outside the Capitol. In the car was a Glock handgun with a 22-round extended magazine, then hidden in a nearby flowerbed was a Glock with the giggle switch. I would have to call a giggle switch, immature and unwise behavior by good people, and an opportunity by dangerous people. WE have a new range of bad behavior from inhabitants living amongst us. November 9-12, there will be a PropStore’s Entertainment Memorabilia auction. If you have some extra pocket change ($1.2 million or more) to spend you can own an original Star Wars C-3PO head from 1976. They also have Indiana Jones’ whip from Temple of Doom, Freddy Krueger’s glove from A Nightmare on Elm Street, and the shield from Captain America: The First Avenger. Even Stanley Kubrick’s original annotated shooting script for The Shining is also available along with so much more.

I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.

Thank you for sticking with us this week. We do appreciate you. I’m going to leave you with this thought. When I read it the first time, I had to think about it, then read it again, then think about it again. Thought provoking.

LISA

What if they’re not stars… but holes poked into the top of a container so we can breathe.

Send comments to Lisa Baker at lisa@thesourceweekly.com

What I Heard This Week 11-02-2023

What I Heard This Week November 1, 2023

The Rest of the Story: Joran van der Sloot, a longstanding suspect over the years, finally confessed to the brutal murder of Natalee Holloway, who went missing on a graduation trip in Aruba in 2005. He is currently serving a 28-year prison sentence for the 2010 killing (yes, he killed again) of college student Stephany Flores. Back story: Leidy Figueroa (who sold candy and cigarettes at the prison) married van der Sloot in 2014 while he was serving this prison sentence in Peru. The couple were allowed conjugal visits, then she gave birth to a daughter, Dusha Trudie van der Sloot, also in 2014. Hmmm. The now ex-wife (he asked for a divorce about a year ago because he is in a relationship with a younger woman) hopes to distance herself and her daughter by changing the girl’s last name. Whoa, Nellie! A little late for that.

Young at heart… slightly older in other places.

There is a new Frazier show on TV (Paramount+). This Frasier stars Kelsey Grammer as the pompous, full-of-himself, yet kind Dr. Frasier Crane, as he moves back to Boston in a new career as a Harvard professor. His son Freddy is now grown and working as a firefighter. The show is described as a multi-cam comedy (meaning multiple cameras in fixed locations) filmed in front of a live audience.

Two different people have now gifted me Honey Badger Garden Gloves, so I thought it might be a good time to remind you again of how much I like them. You can rake with them, plunge with them like having a small shovel, and dig holes. I like them because you can get the roots of the weeds when weeding. They’re rated for 200 hours of average gardening before the claws wear out. Great Christmas gifts. HoneyBadgerGloves.com. Thank you again to Mary and Sandra! You know me so well.  On another note: While walking Teller the other day, I saw a neighbor with a gardening tool that I am going to purchase. It’s called a Hula Hoe Weeding Tool. It looks like a stirrup at the Gynecologist office, attached to a long handle, and it cuts the roots where all you have to do is pick up the weed just lying dead on top of the dirt. Another good Christmas idea for your gift list. Make this your practical gift year.

Santa’s Wonderland will be open November 10th through December 30th. Mark your calendars & prepare to start a family tradition. College Station is only 2hrs. 6 min. from Angleton (and you pass three Buc-ee’s on the way so there’s no real excuse to drive over one evening). Enjoy Santa & Mrs. Claus. Horse & Carriages. Ice Skating. Hayrides. Snow Tubing. Snow Playground. Walkable Trail of Lights. Christmas Shopping. Santa’s Barnyard Petting Corral and Pony Rides. Frozen Forest. Campfires. Poncho the Longhorn. Nightly Entertainment. Mail Your Letters to Santa. Classic Movies. West Pole Express Train Depot. Jumping Pillows. Face Painting. Nativity Scene. 8-Second Bull Ride. Texas Snow Globe Photo Opportunity. The Lone Star Christmas Ship. Marshmallow Roasting Pits… and beer on tap just in case you leave the kids at home. A Texas Experience. 979-690-7212. Santa’s Wonderland.

Actor Matthew Perry died at 54. We all have very good memories of people or roles he portrayed. Richard Roundtree, who played the title role of New York private detective John Shaft in the Shaft franchise, died at 81 of pancreatic cancer. As I type this, I’m visualizing him in his black leather jacket, amazing mustache, with the theme song playing in my head. Isaac Hayes made history at the 44th Academy Awards as the first Black winner for Best Original Song for the Theme from Shaft.

Dr. Elliot Engle spoke at The Women’s Lecture Series last month on the book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, written by L. Frank Baum. Actually, he told us stories about the author who wrote the book after making up whimsical stories to tell his children. Baum’s son, Harry, called his father the “swellest man I knew,” a man who was able to give a decent reason as to why black birds cooked in a pie could afterwards get out and sing…” It’s a good read if you want to pull up some of the info on Wikipedia.

It is almost cold weather in South Texas which brings us to talk about soups. Obviously, most people are thinking about chili because H-E-B was out of little Fritos last night. The following recipe by Martina McBride keeps popping up on my computer so it must be good . I think I’m going to try making it with smoked chicken this week-end. It’s different than any chicken soup that I’ve ever made because of the masa harina and heavy cream, but what’s not to like, it sounds wonderful.

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 (14.5-ounce) can tomatoes with diced green chiles, undrained
1/3 cup masa harina
1 – 1/3 cups milk
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (16-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sour cream

Suggested garnishes: shredded cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, cilantro, lime wedges, corn tortilla chips, hot sauce.

Preheat oven 350°F. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place in a greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Pour 1 cup of broth over chicken and cover. Bake 45 minutes. Shred meat with 2 forks. (I personally would use thighs because they have more flavor.) Heat oil. Add onion and jalapeno; add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth, reserved cooking liquid, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and tomatoes. Whisk together masa and milk until blended. Stir into the soup. Cook over medium-high, stirring frequently, 10 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens slightly. Stir in the shredded chicken, black beans, pinto beans, and corn. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the cream and sour cream. Serve with the desired garnishes.

To vote in Texas, you must be registered. If you are not, simply pick up a voter registration application, fill it out, and mail it at least 30 days before election date. If you’re mailing your application back, county election officials must receive it by Oct. 27th (too late now).
You can also vote early, in-person from Oct. 23rd through Nov. 3rd (hurry).
You may qualify to vote by mail if you are:  65 years or older, sick or disabled, out of the county on Election Day and during the early voting period,  expected to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day, or confined in jail, but otherwise eligible.
Election officials must receive mail-in ballots on Election Day, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. if it’s not in a postmarked envelope. If the envelope is postmarked by 7 p.m. on Election Day, it must be received by Nov. 8 at 5 p.m.
To vote in person, you must bring one of the following acceptable forms of photo ID. Texas driver’s license, Texas election identification certificate, Texas personal identification card, Texas handgun license, U.S. military identification card with your photo, U.S. citizenship certificate with your photo, U.S. passport, either book or card. Texas needs your vote.

Adele was singing When We Were Young at her Las Vegas residency show, wearing her Morticia Addams Halloween costume when she spotted someone in the audience and stopped the show, running over to give a man a hug. She said, “Oh my God! Colin! This is my doctor that gave birth to my baby. I haven’t seen you for years.”  Former Vice-President Mike Pence ended his 2024 presidential bid. My daughter was in town for a wedding, so I treated her to a mani-pedi. While at the nail salon, there was a screen showing all the pointy new styles of nails and decorations available. One style was the Buc-ee’s beaver. Have a great week. Thanks for reading us. We appreciate you.

LISA

Send comments to Lisa Baker at lisa@thesourceweekly.com

What I Heard This Week 10-26-2023

What I Heard This Week October 25, 2023

According to History.com, carving jack-o’-lanterns dates back hundreds of years ago to Ireland, where they were carved out of turnips or potatoes before Irish immigrants came to America and discovered the marvelous pumpkin. Pumpkins are a member of the gourd family, which includes melons, cantaloupe, watermelons, and zucchini. Indigenous North Americans – Indians – grew pumpkins for thousands of years before the arrival of colonists. “The name pumpkin originated from the Greek word Pepõn, which means large melon. It was then nasalized by the French into pompo, which the English changed pompon to pumpion and so on, until American settlers arrived at the word we use today.” The state of Illinois is the largest producer of pumpkins in the U.S.  The world’s heaviest pumpkin weighed 2,749 pounds when it was presented by Travis Gienger (USA) (a horticulture teacher) at the 50th Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, California, USA, on October 9th, 2023. Yes, it’s officially in the Guinness World Records. Since the pumpkin was presented in 2023, Gienger named it Michael Jordan (#23 shirt number), because the pumpkin started out “basketball round”. The picture I saw of this pumpkin had a cute little teddy bear sitting on top of the stem in a Michael Jordan uniform.

A copy of the first-ever Spider Man comic book sold for $3.6 million (more than Superman’s) setting a new record as the world’s most valuable comic book. Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, is showing at TUTS right now. It was really intense and really good. Headline: Stress is weathering our bodies from the inside out and helping fuel a decline in life expectancy. Saturday, I took an entire car full of recycling to Stella Roberts Recycling Center in Pearland, then I drove straight to Marble Slab and asked for a waffle cone and a big scoop of homemade vanilla to go. Sometimes you must reward yourself for a good deed.  The NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) says their winter weather outlook forecast is expected to be dominated by the effects of a strong El Nino which could mean an unusually warm dry winter for the northern tier of the U.S., while the southeastern U.S. should see a wetter than average winter (high odds for above-average precipitation for the Gulf Coast).

This past week, I was cooking and pulled out a jar of sesame seeds from the dark spooky confines of my spice cabinet. I thought to myself, “these have been in that cabinet too long” so I opened the jar to dump into my compost container. They wouldn’t come out, so I ran my finger around the edge to help things along. The sesame seeds smelled and were old, stuck to the glass, so I turned the bottle around and saw there was a price tag for $1.49 on the side of the bottle. Hmmm. Nothing costs $1.49 in recent history on the spice aisle. I try to remember to date the bottles but this one got past me. I can’t be trusted.

So, let’s say next year you want to grow your own pumpkin. Here is what it says to do.
*A 900 lb. pumpkin could take 10 – 12 men to carry it to a scale, so most important, start today and meet many new friends that are strong, good lifters and carriers.
      *Start with good seeds. They say Atlantic Giant will grow big pumpkins.
      *Good soil. Composted cow and horse manure with chicken manure. Lots of organic matter.
      *Good Luck. You must have very, very, good luck.
      *Sow seeds four weeks before the last spring frost.
      *Transplant seedlings once the first leaves appear. Protect seedlings for six weeks from wind and frost with a mini-greenhouse.
      *Think Dr. Ruth. Eight to ten weeks after starting the seeds, the first female flowers will appear. You can tell because they have a small pumpkin at their base. Hmmm. Since we have killed countless numbers of our pollinators, you will need to hand-pollinate the flowers by getting up early in the morning to locate a freshly opened male flower. Remove the outer petals, exposing the stamen and fresh pollen. Locate a newly opened female flower and gently swab the stigma of the female flower with the stamen and pollen. You want to get a baby pumpkin started in the field before July 10. The earlier, the bigger the pumpkin. It is possible that pumpkins can gain 25 pounds a day. (not realistic, but possible)
      *Position the pumpkin so stems are perpendicular to the vine.
*Select your pumpkin. Since one vine could have seven or eight pumpkins, and you can’t see yourself carrying more than one pumpkin to term, you can choose your best pumpkin and remove the rest.
      *Prune vines. Bury the ends of cut vines to reduce water loss.
      *Fertilize. Fertilize. Fertilize.
      *Measure your pumpkin weekly if it’s contest worthy.
Now, if this seems like a lot of work then you’re right. Remember to value that cute little pumpkin, be more kind, considerate and appreciative when you put it into your grocery basket. Just think of what its owner went through to get that pumpkin to your front porch.

The Houston Chronicle is pretty expensive now, so I have it delivered just on Sunday mornings. This week there was an Apple Watch Tip worth the whole subscription price. If you already know this little tip, then just skip to the next paragraph… many people are math challenged, having a hard time figuring out what to tip. When my kids were growing up, I required them to take turns paying the restaurant bill and figuring out the tip themselves because I knew it would come easier to them with practice. On your Apple Watch, push the Digital Crown on the right to show the apps on your watch. Find the Calculator and tap it. Then you’ll see a TIP button. Enter the total restaurant bill amount, then tap that TIP button. It will give you a percentage choice by rotating the Digital Crown until you get to the amount you want to pay. Now this is the part that I love. If you are splitting the check, tap the lower field in order to change the number of people in your party from one to your party number. Rotate the Digital Crown again. There you go, you’ll see how much each person needs to chip in. OM Gosh. So easy.

Menopause has always been a very hush-hush discussion in society. Why? Instead of embracing the fact that we really want to live for a long time, we are ashamed of getting older. It’s the beginning of the end, so to speak. There is such stigma around aging, but hopefully things are changing. I was, hmmm … lucky, because I was in my late 40’s going through chemotherapy for breast cancer, and when that was finished, so was all the hype, my soap-opera menopause was done. No hot flashes, no nothing. Now, I don’t recommend this method, but there wasn’t really a choice at the time. Let’s face it, some really great things happen to us later in life. So, what is a menopause party? Instead of hiding in the deep freeze, women are now focusing on this new midlife chapter in life with better nutrition, talking with friends for support, advice and ideas, parties to celebrate, and just having fun. I know of several long-lost friends that would have loved to enjoy menopause with you, but they didn’t have the opportunity. Just thoughts.

The Barbie and Wednesday Addams costumes are not encouraged for striking actors this Halloween. The guild told members to choose neutral costumes inspired by generalized characters and figures – like a ghost, zombie, spider, etc. And don’t post the picture. Hmmm. What about Barbie the doll, and not Barbie the new movie? Teller is going to be a pickle. Headline: Can Vaccinations Save Your Brain? There’s growing evidence that getting your shots can lower dementia risk. Well, 62-year-old Mr. Mullet, Achy Breaky Heart, Old Town Road himself – Billy Ray Cyrus, married FireRose, a 34-year-old musician from Australia. There it is… why no woman wants to talk about menopause… because $%#@ men marry women half their age… just saying. The United Auto Workers union called a strike at GM’s SUV plant in Arlington this week. This is the facility where the Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon and Cadillac Escalade are manufactured. The Texas walkout brings the total number of auto workers striking GM, Ford, and Jeep parent company Stellantis, to around 45,000. That’s a lot of people and a lot of unbuilt vehicles. An 81-year-old Florida man has been ordered back to Canada where he’s charged with the fatal strangling of an American woman almost 50 years ago. He confessed to the killing in 2022 and was arrested at his assisted-living facility in Hollywood. Hmmm.

A very kind, sweet man, gentleman, father and husband, true friend and friend of many, passed away this week. Kevin L. Johnson, may you be as blessed in the next life, as I was in this one by knowing you, my friend.

LISA

Send comments to Lisa Baker at lisa@thesourceweekly.com

What I Heard This Week 10-19-2023

What I Heard This Week October 18, 2023

According to folklore, Farmers’ Almanac, and Melissa Bunker aka The Persimmon Lady (who reads persimmons and has been making predictions for years); if you split open the seeds of locally grown persimmon fruit slice through the seed, look at the pattern that the seed makes inside, it will tell you everything you need to know to predict the winter. Now, mind you, The Persimmon Lady lives in North Carolina not Texas, but her prediction is that 2023-2024 will be very cold and bitter. To make a persimmon forecast, one source said to take 10 persimmons, split the seeds and see what pattern you find the most of. A fork shape indicates a mild winter, a spoon shape stands for snow that will need shoveling, and a knife shape means a bitter cold icy winter where wind will cut you like a knife. Or you can just watch your local weather or the weather app on your phone.

Thou shall not try me. Mom 24:7

National Make a Dog’s Day is October 22nd. Hmmm. What can you do? Adopt a dog. Take a dog walking at local shelters or donate supplies. Visit a dog park with your own pooch or take her on an extra lap around the block, or just spend time with the loving animal that creates so much happiness throughout the year.

Don’t Drink and Drive! Your dog would never understand why you didn’t come home.

Speaking of man’s best friend, I just received the nicest newsletter from the SPCA along with pictures of some of the sweet babies that were loved, are now healthy and were adopted over the summer. They welcomed so many incredible animals into the shelter. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, 360 dogs and 480 cats came into their care – that’s a total of 840 animals – (wow), and 794 animals were adopted, along with vaccinating hundreds of pets in our community. Support them when you can. Spay and neuter.

The Dallas Cowboys are bringing in Dolly Parton as their Thanksgiving Day halftime show. Dallas will play the Washington Commanders. WOW. Janet Jackson is returning to Houston on December 1st, to celebrate AIDS Day at NRG Arena. Houston native Debbie Allen who starred with Jackson in Fame, will speak. Actor Blair Underwood will receive the AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

When Teller and I opened our first fortune cookie this weekend, it was blank. Hmmm. No fortune. I didn’t take it personally. The second cookie said, “Some folks dream of fortune, others dream of cookies.” Teller says he dreams of dog biscuits.

The Brazoria County Beekeepers Association presents their Bee Expo at Wild Peach Market 21155 North Hwy 36 Brazoria, Sat. October 28th from 5:30 – 9:30PM. Yes, it’s Saturday evening now that the weather is cooler. There will be live music and food, shopping, local honey, baked goods, desserts, décor, kid crafts, classes, an observation hive, face-painting and more. Vendor space available. For further info: 979-480-3223 or facebook.com/WildPeachMarket. Costumes are welcome! BEE there. I went to the most fun class on mushrooms at this place last Saturday morning. I’ll tell you all about it next week. I’m growing two containers of mushrooms in my kitchen right now and should see results beginning in about 10-days.

Sir Ian Wilmut, British embryologist best known as the leader of the research group that in 1996 first cloned a mammal from an adult somatic cell, a lamb named Dolly, who died of a respiratory disease in 2003. In 1966, Wilmut spent eight weeks working in the laboratory of Christopher Polge, who is credited with developing the technique of cryopreservation in 1949. The following year Wilmut joined Polge’s laboratory to undertake a PhD with a thesis on semen cryopreservation. In 1996, he was the leader of the research group that first cloned a mammal, a lamb named Dolly, who died of a respiratory disease in 2003.

Rudolph Isley, founding member of the Isley Brothers who performed R&B classics, Shout, Twist and Shout, That Lady, It’s Your Thing, Lonely Teardrops, and so much more, died at 84. Rudolph Isley left the group in 1989 to become a Christian minister but was still inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.

Suzanne Somers of Three’s Company fame died at 76. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000 during a routine mammogram, receiving a lumpectomy and radiation as well as alternative therapies, but continued to battle cancer multiple times throughout her life. She said, “every now and then it pops up again, and I continue to bat it down.” If you haven’t made your mammogram appointment, then do it right now!

Nobel prize winning poet Louise Gluck, died at 80. When she received the literature prize in 2020, it was the first time an American poet had been honored since T.S. Eliot in 1948.

Bruce Weaver, the photographer who was able to capture the unbelievable images of space shuttle Challenger breaking apart into smoke and fire after lift-off on January 28, 1986, has died at 77. Eroded O-ring seals in the right booster failed, causing the explosion. In 1986, actual film was still used, and Weaver had not yet filled up 36 frames of his roll while photographing the launch when the Challenger began breaking apart. Other photographers had finished their rolls and needed to rewind before replacement with a new roll.

Joanna Merlin, who created the role of Tzeitel in the original production of Fiddler on the Roof, died at 92.

Piper Laurie, nominated nine times for an Emmy and three times for an Academy Award, best known for Carrie (Sissy Spacek’s ultra-religious mother) and The Hustler (love interest of Paul Newman), died at 91.

Gail O’Neill, supermodel, and journalist, died at 61.

While filling up my car with gas the other day, I could hear the truck beside me topping off his tank. You know, when the pump stops, and you try to get a little bit more in the tank. Klunk. I just read that doing this can damage a piece of your gas tank called the onboard refueling vapor recovery system. This part collects harmful fuel vapors and emits them into the outside air. It can cost several hundred dollars to repair this part. Gas also needs room to expand and packing the tank with gas prevents it from expanding. FYI.

“They say everything looks better with odd numbers of things. But sometimes I put even numbers – just to upset the critics.” Bob Ross

A 91-year-old Wisconsin man, tired of retirement, opened a new barber shop called Bob’s Old Fashioned Barber Shop. Bob Rohloff said he has followed in his father’s footsteps and had been cutting hair since 1948, while he was still in high school. He said that he doesn’t have arthritis, so why not continue to work… but he didn’t tell his family what he was doing because they wouldn’t have understood. (Everyone is going to get old, but you don’t have to act old…)

This week was my regularly scheduled dental appointment. I love going for cleanings. My hygienist is going to become a first-time grandmother, so we discussed grandma names. Just in case you’re in need of a cool name, a recent survey says the most-used alternate names for grandmother or grandma are Gigi, Nana, Mimi, Gran, Bibi, & Momo. The most used-alternate names for Grandfather or Grandpa are Poppy, Pops, Papi, G-Pa, GranDude, & Papa.

There is a disturbance in the Atlantic, named at this time AL94, that the National Hurricane Center is monitoring. Hurricane season ends November 30th but that doesn’t really matter because all the rules have changed on what the weather is going to do.

Bobby Flay has restaurants, cookbooks, television shows, and surprise, a premium cat food brand Made by Nacho, named after his Maine Coon, Nacho and sister, Stella. Nine-year-old Nacho died this week. My cats love this brand, so I mix it with the stuff they’re not so fond of…  Reportedly, prosecutors are planning to recharge Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter over the fatal shooting on the 2021 movie set of Rust ...  The Los Angeles Olympic Committee has released new sports for the 2028 games, Baseball/Softball, Flag Football, Lacrosse, Squash, & Cricket… The state of Arkansas ordered Chinese owned company, Syngenta, to sell 160 acres of farmland in the U.S. that they own, within two years. The same company owns about 1,500 acres of U.S. agricultural land for research, development and regulatory trials on products used by U.S. farmers. Arkansas also fined Syngenta $280,000 for failure to report foreign ownership in a timely manner. Sigh… Vladimir Putin‘s arrival in Beijing this week received the red-carpet treatment. The visit was Putin’s first trip outside countries of the former Soviet Union since the International Criminal Court, of which China is not a member, issued a warrant for his arrest in March … Apple has unveiled a brand-new affordable third-gen Apple Pencil that costs $79 and has a USC-C port.

So far, we have 34 Garage Sales listed on page 6. It should be a great weekend for shopping! Thanks for reading us this week. We appreciate you.

LISA

Send comments to Lisa Baker at lisa@thesourceweekly.com

What I Heard This Week 10-12-2023

What I Heard This Week October 11, 2023

In 2024, Volkswagen will bring back the 1960’s Microbus or T1, first produced in March 1950, reinvented as an electric vehicle called the ID. Buzz. You know the bead hanging, tie-dyed, hippie van, peace sign covered vehicle that people slept in, lived in, that quickly became a psychedelic symbol of the times. This new bus is being called a spiritual successor and may create some enthusiast nostalgia for days gone by. I know I sat here and remembered the girl in high school that drove an orange one – Karen Bullock, I think. I thought she was so sophisticated and modern; I even got to ride with her one day. I’m sure we were probably listening to Dr. John, Three Dog Night, and Edgar Winter as we hurried home so we could watch Sonny and Cher or Good Times. Ha ha. I desperately need a new car so YES; I was having my moment imagining Teller and me driving through the city in a new Volkswagen Van. His ears would be flying, head stuck out the side window with a tie-dyed bandana around his neck.

After working a really long time, I had ‘most everything ready to make my way to the accountant’s office to hand off my income tax to two sweet ladies. I also needed to vacuum the office, so I went to work. During my vacuuming each week, I always ask Teller if he wants a fortune cookie, and he heads straight to the sofa in the back where we share our cookies, along with Sunday night dog kisses. He is THE best dog. I opened the first cookie (we eat two each week), then read our fortune. It said, “If you understand what you’re doing, you’re not learning anything.” Hmmm. This seems very appropriate for the finishing of income tax. I think it’s safe to say, I may be past the stage of learning, but absolutely not because I understand what I’m doing.

You’d think that the part of the brain that used to remember phone numbers would take over remembering passwords! But NOOOOO!!!

On Thursday, October 19th at 6 pm, Gavin Miculka, Assistant Sites Manager of Kreische Brewery and Monument Hill, and Jenny Townzen, Sites Educator, will present “Untapping the Past: The Archeology of Kreische Brewery.” Kreische Brewery, constructed by German immigrant Heinrich Kreische, grew to become the third largest in Texas before it ceased operations shortly after Kreische’s death in 1882. A century later, investigations uncovered a wide array of material culture that speaks to the entrepreneurial spirit and ingenuity of Kreische as well as the importance of building family and community for German immigrants on the Bluff and beyond. Gavin and Jenny will discuss the findings of the Kreische Brewery complex. Brazoria County Historical Museum, 100 E. Cedar St., Angleton.

I don’t want to go through things that don’t kill me but make me stronger anymore.

Are you ready for this? Cowboy and Cowgirl dreams are getting ready to come true. On October 23rd, Crocs will unveil Croots; like a cowboy boot and a pair of Crocs have a baby. Yes, believe it or not, for a limited time the Colorado footwear company will be selling Cowboy Boots with detachable spurs. Oh, did I mention that this is in honor of Croctober. The brown Croots are actually kind of cute, and of course we WILL be seeing them around town. We do after all, live in Texas, where dirt and manure seeping inside the holes in our shoes doesn’t bother us at all. $120 pair.

President Biden was joined by Selma Blair as she spoke at the White House in honor of the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the 50th anniversary of the Rehabilitation Act. Blair was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in Aug. 2018 and calls herself a proud disabled woman. She walked with her trusty cane, as her service dog Scout, took a nap at the President’s feet. Speaking of Biden and dogs, Commander, his 2-year-old German shepherd has been removed from the White House because he had bitten “many” Secret Service agents who are supposed to be protecting the President. From my own dog-person relationship with Teller, I’m thinking perhaps Commander believes he is supposed to be the one to protect the President and First Lady. Teller nipped at people before because he thinks he has to protect me. Nothing earth shattering, I just know some people (men) have to approach him gently and slowly. Someone wasn’t kind in Teller’s past. There was a friend visiting our office a few weeks back and Teller stationed himself between me and the man. When I moved, Teller moved, continuing to look at the ground. Dogs are smart. Or perhaps, Secret Service just taste really good.

Pumpkins may be in shorter supply this year because of the weather. Eight children, between the ages of 6 to 8, ingested cannabis-infused candy at Boys & Girls Club in Florida, with 6 being hospitalized. A 33-year-old Oklahoma woman pleaded guilty to child neglect charges, enabling child sexual abuse, and will serve 20 years after her 12-year-old daughter gave birth to the child of a 24-year-old man who was charged then with rape, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, and will have to register as a sex offender. The family of the girl even threw the “couple” a baby shower. It gets more unbelievable. The girl’s father is currently serving time for first-degree rape unrelated to the case. Messed up. The manufacturers of 10 medications have reluctantly agreed to negotiate with Medicare about their prices weeks after Biden announced the first ten drugs selected for price negotiations. Yeah. More than a third of those companies that make the drugs on the list have sued the federal government, but all the companies signed agreements saying they will negotiate.

Looking for free educational resources? Rent SPLASh’s toolkit for your classroom today, compliments of SPLASh’s Marine Debris Educator’s Guide: a 4-lesson guide with a final cumulative project. The guide is differentiated for 4-12th grade, with 60-minute, TEKS-aligned lessons. The toolkits are rented out, free of charge, for 2-week increments and are intended for classroom sizes of 28-30. Kits include everything you need to lead a trash cleanup, build a watershed model, and more! www.splashtx.org/education 

Brazosport ISD Superintendent, Danny Massey presented the 2022-2023 Educator of the Year award to Tracey Kesseler from Bess Brannen Elementary and Volunteer of the Year, Mark Thornton from Zachry Group. 

Gifted actor and author, David McCallum, died at 90. He was best known for his role of Ducky Mallard on NCIS, and the 60’s spy series, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., as agent Illya Kuryakin, opposite Robert Vaughn’s suave Napoleon Solo.  Senator Dianne Feinstein died at 90. She was the nation’s longest-tenured female senator and the oldest member of Congress when she died.

The Ring of Fire Solar Eclipse will be visible in North America for first time in 11 years, starting October 13th, the annular solar eclipse will make its way across eight states. Texas is included in the 100% coverage path, which includes Midland-Odessa, San Antonio & Corpus Christi, with Houston area expected to see between 80% to 85% (partial solar eclipse) viewing coverage. The planetarium at The Center for the Arts and Sciences taking reservations and viewing glasses available, 2 for $5. 979-265-7661. www.bcfas.org. See front page of this paper. NASA has interactive map available svs.gsfc.nasa.gov

A landlord tried to charge a $250 pet fee for a goldfish. Can that be classified as a service animal? An Alabama library mistakenly flagged a children’s book because the author’s last name is GAY… Marie-Louise GAY. Good grief. What happened to common sense! The beautiful little picture book, “Read Me a Story, Stella,” is about a girl who teaches her younger brother the joys of reading. The book is #7 in a popular series that has sold 2 million copies in 10 languages. The late Bob Ross created a painting from his first TV show The Joy of Painting which featured trees by a river. The painting is now for sale on Modern Artifacts for $9.8 million. “There’s nothing wrong with having a tree as a friend.” – Bob Ross

Do you remember the cute movie, “13 Going on 30” with Jennifer Garner? There will be a stage version hopefully by 2025. I love the movie. Moonlighting, the hit 1985-89 detective series starring Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd is now available to stream on HULU. It was such a good show! I tuned in to Golden Bachelor but was so disappointed in the silliness of it all. They could have had such a great show if they hadn’t added such stupid stuff to it.  Give us ‘Golden’ people a break – we’re not like that at all. I opened up my Roomba this morning to empty it and pulled out a $20 bill. Bet your vacuum cleaner doesn’t do that. I just said goodbye to the final flower on my daylilies. I guess its fall. Mary Lou Retton (55 years-old with four daughters), one of the most famous and popular athletes of all time, has been in ICU for more than a week, has a rare form of pneumonia, cannot breathe on her own, and is fighting for her life.

Learn To Grow Your Own Italian Oyster Mushrooms With F&C Mushroom Company At The Wild Peach Market, Sat., October 14th, 9:30am, $25. Registration Required, Call or Text 979-480-5444 Or Message www.facebook.com/WildPeachMarket. More on mushrooms next week!

Don’t forget that October 14th is National I LOVE YOU Day and National Dessert Day. But then again, October 16th is Global Cat Day. Catnip Cake! What a choice to celebrate. I pick them all. Thank you for reading us. We appreciate you.

LISA

Send comments to Lisa Baker at lisa@thesourceweekly.com

What I Heard This Week 10-05-2023

What I Heard This Week October 4, 2023

The Las Vegas Sphere (360 ft. tall), a $2.3 BILLION state-of-the-art music and entertainment venue, opened last weekend with a U2 concert. 18,000 people experienced mind-blowing optical illusions and stunning immersive visuals on the huge wraparound LED screen, which just happens to be the largest LED screen in the world and has the highest resolution. Fans entered several virtual worlds as the band played. The picture I saw from the inside looked like an outdoor concert at dusk. Yet another picture taken from a distance, made it look like a giant snow globe. Construction started in 2018. The fun has started.

Last night I ordered Green Antelope Horn Milkweed for the monarchs. It is a native plant to Texas. Milkweed gets such a bad rap because of that word WEED in the name (it is not a weed) but a beautiful flower. Green and creamy beige flowers with purple accenting the center of each flower, all on a single stem. It’s also known as spider or green milkweed. It feeds monarchs, soldiers (brightly colored, dark orange butterflies) and tropical queens (three sets of tentacles on the caterpillar and more solid color of butterfly), among many other butterflies and pollinators. This has been a hard summer. Be extra kind to our pollinators since nothing is blooming. Bees are attracted to blues and violets, hummingbirds prefer reds and pinks, Butterflies lean towards yellows and oranges, and nighttime pollinators are attracted to night bloomers.

October is Texas Archeology Month, a month-long celebration of Texas’ archeological heritage. In recognition of Texas Archeology Month, Brazoria County Historical Museum will kick-off its Archeological Lecture Series Thursday, October 12th at 6 pm with a presentation by Eleanor Stoddart, Cultural Resources Coordinator for Texas State Parks, who will look at some of the archeology projects currently happening in our local area and give an overview of some of the exciting events planned to celebrate 100 years of Texas State Parks.

Mattel has a new Stevie Nicks Barbie – great voice, sense of style, band member and solo artist, plus first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame TWICE. The doll was designed in honor of Nicks’ 75th birthday, her outfit inspired by the cover of the 1977 album Rumours. $55 unless you buy on resale markets. ☹ Tina Turner, Gloria Estefan, David Bowie, and Elvis Presley are also coming.

A friend was in town and spending the night, so I had made her an evening cocktail using Betty Buzz mixer which I had found at Central Market and Spec’s. I decided to do some research on the brand and found out that actress Blake Lively launched this company – her own sparkling non-alcoholic drink mixers, because she hates the taste of alcohol. The name Betty comes from her grandmother, aunt, and daughter – all named Betty. You will have to ask her where the name Buzz came from. They use glass bottles – not plastic, no artificial sweeteners, only juice, agave syrup and cane sugar. The five flavors are Meyer Lemon Club Soda, Sparkling Grapefruit, Sparkling Lemon-Lime, Ginger Beer, & Tonic. Blake’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, is also an entrepreneur with several investments in small businesses including Aviation Gin. What a good match. He also has a streaming channel called Maximum Effort and since he has an “irrational love” for the alien-life-form ALF from 80’s TV, he is returning him in reruns and in new advertiser-sponsored shorts. (That has nothing to do with G&T, but I thought I would throw it in for those with their own irrational love for ALF.)

Happy 5th anniversary to downtown neighbor, Wine Revue. If you haven’t stopped for a glass of wine or beer, then you should. Autumn also has private parties, great happy hour specials, and can cater for meetings and training sessions, or holiday parties. 219 Parking Way Downtown LJ. 979-248-0803.

RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Actor Anson Williams of Happy Days is 74. Actor Mark Hamill is 72. Star Wars. Actor Heather Locklear is 62. Actor Catherine Zeta-Jones is 54. Actor Linda Hamilton is 67. Actor Melissa Sue Anderson of Little House on the Prairie is 61. Singer-guitarist Randy Bachman of Bachman-Turner Overdrive is 80. Singer-actor-director Shaun Cassidy is 65. Guitarist Mike Pinera of Iron Butterfly is 75. Singer-guitarist Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad is 75. TV personality Bryant Gumbel is 75. Actor Angie Dickinson is 92. Singer Cissy Houston is 90. Singer Johnny Mathis is 88. Singer Marilyn McCoo is 80. Actor Barry Williams of The Brady Bunch is 69. Actor Fran Drescher is 66. Country singer Marty Stuart is 65.

Dr. Richard Moriarty, retired pediatrician who helped create the bright green Mr. Yuk symbol that warns kids to stay away from poisonous substances, died at 83. He also helped establish and develop the Pittsburgh Poison Center where he served as director. He said the Mr. Yuk symbol was designed by kids for kids, for a poison awareness campaign that began in 1971.

John Warnock, Silicon Valley entrepreneur and computer scientist who helped invent the PDF (Portable Document Format) and co-founded Adobe Systems, died at 82. The PDF transformed the way documents are exchanged, replacing many paper copies in legal, business, and personal communication. Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop followed before he stepped down as CEO in 2000. After he retired, he devoted his time to collecting rare books which he scanned and put online at rarebookroom.org.

Sir Michael Gambon, best known for his portrayal of Hogwarts much-loved headmaster Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter, died at 82. He had the greatest voice.

A judge has ruled that Lady Gaga will not have to pay Jennifer McBride the $500,000 reward that was promised for finding her two dogs, after discovering the woman was actually involved in the dognapping. Kroger is testing shopping carts with built-in scales and cameras so you can scan and bag each item as you shop. Some stores are testing check-out without scanning, you just dump your purchases into a bin where sensors add up the tab and tell you what you owe. We are lazy human beings. Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar was carjacked at gunpoint in D.C. about a mile from the Capitol. “You got to keep calm under those situations, and analyze the situation quickly and look around, one gun, a second gun, maybe a third one behind me. You got to stay calm. They wanted the car, sure. They recovered everything,” said Congressman Henry Cuellar. “What really got me, though, was they took my sushi, but anyway, that’s something else. And they did recover the sushi after all.” Ronnie Milsap will play his final Nashville concert this week at age 80. The legendary blind pianist will be joined by Kelly Clarkson, Little Big Town, Parker McCollum, Justin Moore, Scotty McCreery, Tracy Lawrence, Randy Houser, Sara Evans, Lorrie Morgan, Trace Adkins, Ricky Skaggs, Steven Curtis Chapman and more.

The Velasco Masonic Lodge Fellowship Hall is now available to reserve for parties, family reunions, baby showers or wedding receptions. $300 for 50 guests, a kitchen and large room. 979-233-7643

If you are hanging a picture on a wall, instead of holding the nail (you know what I’m saying), just put a clothespin around the nail and hammer away without the fear of hitting your fingers. Love it. Coca-Cola has released a new flavor called Starlight and apparently it tastes like space. Who can argue with that? Another source says Coca-Cola has released a new limited-edition flavor called Coca-Cola Y3000, which was created with the help of artificial intelligence and is supposed to taste like the future. The Senate has unanimously passed a formal dress code requiring business attire on the chamber floor, including coat, tie, and slacks for men. YES! Let’s get back to looking respectful. Another Florida story: a woman has sued Disney after riding the Humunga Kowabunga water slide which caused “permanent bodily injury” (painful wedgie). Riders are told to cross their legs at the ankles when going down the slide.

Our months of summer heat have been miserable for everyone and everything, everywhere, especially trees. The Arbor Day Foundation says we need to start planting trees, all of us, everywhere, right now. Trees lower air temperatures, absorb carbon, and give off oxygen. It helps our wildlife. Animals have difficulty regulating their body temperatures, which leads to stress, dehydration, heatstroke, and death. What a great rain we are having right now. The trees are so happy. Have a great week.

LISA

Send comments to Lisa Baker at lisa@thesourceweekly.com

What I Heard This Week 09-28-2023

What I Heard This Week September 20, 2023

Did I tell you about the Protein Pack at Buc-ee’s. Since I’ve been on the road so much going to my mom’s, I tend to stop in Waller going and coming, fill up with gas, then walk around a bit before getting back on the road. The protein pack is all finger food…smoked turkey cubes, cheddar cheese cubes, a hard-boiled egg, grapes, apple slices and almonds. It’s a little pricey at $8.99 but well worth it in quality. I’m still mad at Buc-ee’s for not carrying newspapers anymore (like The Source Weekly), but life is too short to stay mad.

Did you know that there is such a thing as an art detective? An 1884 Vincent van Gogh painting, The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring, estimated to be worth between $3.2 and $6.4 million, was stolen in March 2020. It was recently returned, bubble-wrapped and in a big blue IKEA bag. The art detective is called the “Indiana Jones of the art world” and has helped authorities recover stolen paintings by Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí, a 15th-century manuscript of Persian poetry, a gold ring gifted to a friend by Oscar Wilde and more than 200 other artworks.

If cats could text you back, they wouldn’t.

Passengers on a British Airways flight from London to Nice, France thought a fellow traveler was asleep, but grew concerned when the 73-year-old woman did not wake up after the flight landed. She wasn’t sleeping ☹. “I wouldn’t say that I’m alarmed, but I’m certainly keeping an eye on it,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said about the new strain of Covid. President Biden has unveiled a new White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention that VP Kamala Harris will oversee. She said, “On this issue, we do not have a moment to spare nor a life to spare…” Senator Robert Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, along with his wife, have been charged with bribery offenses in connection with accepting gold bars, cash and a Mercedes-Benz, among other gifts, in exchange for protecting three businessmen and influencing the government of Egypt. A woman is suing Google after her husband drove off a collapsed bridge while following a Google Maps route. The Department of Public Safety announced three new Texas Ranger promotions, including the first TWO FEMALE Ranger Captains.

Recent flooding and other extreme weather caused by climate change is causing problems for cemeteries, with caskets and vaults being swept away. Underground caskets that aren’t airtight can fill with water, burst open, and release contents. There’s more, but you’ll need to look it up. You’ll find it to be a very interesting read. Maybe.

Hurricane Ophelia is finished, and Hurricane Philippe is now in the Atlantic.

Usher has been announced as the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show performer on February 11, 2024, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. He won Grammy Awards as Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in 2002 and 2003. He will also release his ninth album, Coming Home, on that Super Bowl Sunday.

RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Actor Elvira is 72. Actor Shari Belafonte is 69. Singer Debby Boone is 67. Singer Joan Jett is 65. Opera singer Andrea Bocelli is 65. Actor Scott Baio is 63. Actor Catherine Oxenberg of Dynasty is 62. Singer Julio Iglesias is 80. Actor-singer Mary Kay Place is 76. Singer Bruce Springsteen is 74. Actor Jason Alexander of Seinfeld is 64. Singer Freda Payne is 81, with her 1970 hit single “Band of Gold“. Singer Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers is 83. Actor Jeremy Irons is 75. Singer-turned-photographer LaMonte McLemore of the Fifth Dimension is 88. Puppeteer Kevin Clash, formerly Elmo on Sesame Street, is 63. Actor Michael Douglas is 79. Model Cheryl Tiegs is 76.

The oldest living and longest-lived president, Jimmy Carter, will be celebrating his 99th birthday on October 1st, with peanut butter ice cream. Carter has been receiving hospice care since February 2022 and the former first lady has been diagnosed with dementia. They are also the longest-married presidential couple in American history, wed in 1946. His grandson, Jason Carter said, “They are coming to the end, of course, at this time in their lives. But they are at peace, they are together, they’re at home, they’re in love. And you don’t get much more than that, and they don’t expect more.”

Our government has been preparing for a shutdown if decisions cannot be made, so what did they do… they all took a three-day weekend. Don’t they work for us? If a shutdown occurs, then some federal agencies will stop all non-essential and millions of federal employees including military won’t receive paychecks. Will Congress still get their paychecks? Of course. What a mess! What has happened to politicians who at one time were at least gentlemen and gentleladies, touched with dignity, respect, and honor for our country. Now, there is so much yelling, screaming, pettiness, and obvious lack of self-respect. Sigh. I was reading an article about Starbucks President Howard Behar and his discussion was core values and personal mission statements. Hmmm. I think of those things from a business aspect, but never on a personal level. Maybe we all need to sit down and write out our one year, three year and five-year life plans, then move on to our core values and personal mission statements. He said, “My mission is to live my life everyday nurturing and inspiring the human spirit, beginning with myself first, then for others. And the reason why I say “self first” is after living for 79 years, I understand that if I’m not OK with me, it’s very difficult to help anyone else. Then my core values: honesty, fairness, respect for self and others, responsibility, integrity, trust in self and others, caring and love.”  Great words! Gee. Do we also need to require politicians to provide us with this information? Do any of them still have core values? Just talking out loud.

After lengthy negotiations, Vanna White has signed to extend her contract as co-host on the Wheel of Fortune until 2026. Ryan Seacrest will be replacing Pat Sajak as the new host. The 2023 Harvest Moon is September 29th at 4:57 am. Historically, the extra moonlight meant that farmers could work and harvest their crops for a longer time in the evenings. Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, (think former wife of Amazon founder) has done it again and donated $3 million to Collaborative for Children in Houston. She’s a good woman. After weeks of DNA testing, officials have been able to lower the Maui fire death toll to at least 97 which is considered a minimum, with a possibility that the figure could increase. As of September 16th, the number of missing has dropped to 31, and 74 of the deceased have now been identified. Happy 77th Birthday Buddy Scott, and congratulations on your column of 50 years in The Facts. Way to Go!! It’s been 20 years since Eddie Murphy starred in Haunted Mansion – and now, Walt Disney Studios has remade the spooky movie with a whole new cast of LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Dan Levy, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jared Leto. What a cast! Actor Matthew McConaughey just published a new bestselling children’s book, Just Because, which came to him in a dream. Yep. New York Times bestseller list. It is described as a collection of life lessons inspired by his sons Levi (15) and Livingston (10) and his daughter Vida (13).

Mark your calendars. The SPCA of Brazoria County would love to see you at the annual Julie Baron Memorial FUR BALL, October 26, 2023. I can’t think of a better organization to support. A single ticket, a whole table, provide an auction item for the live and silent auctions, or make a donation – just decide how you can help and do it. There are kittens, puppies and other pets that desperately need your help. The extreme heat is not helping them in any way. In order for the event to be a real success, they need the help of caring individuals like you. Plus, Cole Degges will be playing some tunes that evening and I promise you’ll have a bunch of fun. Put down The Source Weekly right now and go mark your calendar. We’ll still be here when you get back. Have a great week and thank you for reading us.

PS – There is a FREE vaccination clinic at the Angleton Animal Services Adoption Center on October 1, 11:30am to 2:00pm. Cats can receive the FVRCP and Rabies. Dogs can receive DA2PP, Rabies and Bordetella along with free microchipping. You must be IN THE LINE NO LATER THAN 2pm.  All cats must be in a carrier. All dogs must be on a leash. Even better, Mama Bear’s Hot Diggity Dogs Food Truck will be there so you can purchase a little lunch while you wait. What a deal!

LISA

Send comments to Lisa Baker at lisa@thesourceweekly.com

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  • What I Heard This Week 10-26-2023

    by on October 25, 2023 - 0 Comments

    Former US astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, recently remarried for the fourth time, which also happened to be on the occasion of his 93rd birthday. This time it was to Dr. Anca Faur, his 63-year-old, long-time companion (who looks like she wants to be 27), has a PhD in chemical engineering, and is now the executive vice president of Aldrin’s company, Buzz Aldrin Ventures.  He was first married to Joan Ann Archer in 1954 until divorcing in 1974. The next year he married Beverly Van Zile; they divorced after three years. His third marriage was to Lois Driggs Cannon in 1988 on Valentine's Day, divorcing 23 years later. Looks like he hasn’t given up on ‘love’ quite yet. He has sued two of his children and his former business manager claiming they stole money from him and are slandering his legacy, and that they also undermined his "personal romantic relationships" by forbidding him from getting married. His children say he is also spending money at an alarming rate. Sounds like those children are out of luck. There is a new sheriff in town and her name is MRS. Aldrin. ☹ Notes: Aldrin is also a strong advocate for human exploration of Mars. In 2002, he escaped assault charges after punching a man who demanded he swear on a Bible that the Moon landing was not staged. Good for him. He also said, “Tang sucks. “

  • What I Heard This Week 11-30-2023

    by on November 29, 2023 - 0 Comments

    Former US astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, recently remarried for the fourth time, which also happened to be on the occasion of his 93rd birthday. This time it was to Dr. Anca Faur, his 63-year-old, long-time companion (who looks like she wants to be 27), has a PhD in chemical engineering, and is now the executive vice president of Aldrin’s company, Buzz Aldrin Ventures.  He was first married to Joan Ann Archer in 1954 until divorcing in 1974. The next year he married Beverly Van Zile; they divorced after three years. His third marriage was to Lois Driggs Cannon in 1988 on Valentine's Day, divorcing 23 years later. Looks like he hasn’t given up on ‘love’ quite yet. He has sued two of his children and his former business manager claiming they stole money from him and are slandering his legacy, and that they also undermined his "personal romantic relationships" by forbidding him from getting married. His children say he is also spending money at an alarming rate. Sounds like those children are out of luck. There is a new sheriff in town and her name is MRS. Aldrin. ☹ Notes: Aldrin is also a strong advocate for human exploration of Mars. In 2002, he escaped assault charges after punching a man who demanded he swear on a Bible that the Moon landing was not staged. Good for him. He also said, “Tang sucks. “

  • Much Ado About Nothing - Texan in Winter

    by on December 6, 2018 - 0 Comments

    The power went out at my house last night for four hours. While this may not seem like a major catastrophe as it was the middle of the night and […]

  • Much Ado About Nothing - “Human Bait”

    by on January 16, 2020 - 0 Comments

    My dad always told me to have a backup plan in case my current job doesn’t work out. I wasn’t sure what that’d be until I saw this ad: “HUMAN […]

  • What I Heard This Week! December 20, 2018

    by on December 20, 2018 - 0 Comments

    The AK-47 is a type of assault rifle originally manufactured in the Soviet Union in 1949. A 17-year-old Humble High School student accidently shot herself recently with an AK-47 that […]

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